


Strangers at Home

by ace_writergirl



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bees, Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Quarantine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ace_writergirl/pseuds/ace_writergirl
Summary: Weiss lives all by herself in her big house so she decides to rent out three of her rooms. Yang, Ruby and Blake move in and a few days later, the quarantine lockdown is enforced, leaving four semi-strangers in an interesting situation. Weiss is pining after her Junior Olympian neighbour and if Blake and Yang can stop flirting for five seconds, maybe they'd actually get to know their other housemates.A fluffy, humorous (hopefully) and probably a teensy bit angsty (cos it's me) fic in this very strange time...
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Pyrrha Nikos/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 203
Kudos: 329





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rated M cos it'll get there eventually. Duh.

Weiss Schnee cast her eye critically over the mismatched bags that lay strewn about in the foyer. Her hand itched to pick them up and move them to one side as she was certain that one of her new tenants was going to trip over said luggage and severely injure themselves, thus leaving her with a problem of empty rooms.

“Hey, Weiss!” the cheery _and too loud_ voice of Yang Xiao Long echoed off the marble floors.

“Yes, Yang?” she replied, doing her best to sound polite.

Yang appeared in the doorway and grinned. “I just wanted to say thanks for letting me and Rubes shack up together. Not easy to find housemates in college who are willing to take in a minor, y’know?”

Weiss’ stiff posture relaxed somewhat. “Oh, well, you’re quite welcome, Yang. I suppose I’m not much of a regular college student in that I don’t partake in the frivolous consumption of alcohol.”

Yang furrowed her brow and cocked her head. “You’ve never been drunk?”

Weiss shook her head. “At the very most, Father would allow me half a glass of champagne after my recitals.”

Yang laughed and pulled another massive bag – it looked like it weighed a _ton_ and she was carrying it like it was nothing – and winked at Weiss.

Weiss felt her face heat up.

“Don’t you worry, Weiss Schnee. With Yang Xiao Long as your housemate, you won’t be steered wrong. I’ll teach you all my tricks.”

“Tricks for what?” Weiss asked, not entirely sure if she wanted to know.

“Like I’m gonna spoil the surprise!” Yang replied. “Give us maybe two hours to get all our shit sorted and I’ll treat you to some margaritas.”

“Oh, that’s quite unnecessary-“

“Oh, it’s _very_ necessary,” Yang cut in, grinning.

Weiss was fairly certain Yang didn’t know how to _not_ grin. She doubted there was anything in the kitchen that went into making a margarita anyway, certainly no alcohol.

“Do you need assistance with your bags?” Weiss offered, ever the gracious host.

Yang paused momentarily in her swinging of multiple bags onto her shoulder. “I appreciate the offer, Weiss, but Rubes and I are used to lugging our shit around on the reg. We have a system so it’ll probably be best if we didn’t get in your way.”

Yang somehow managed to make it sound so polite even though Weiss was sure she was being told to butt out. She raised an eyebrow and nodded, leaving the sisters to it. She walked into the living room and continued reading her French literature novel. Ruby was still outside, so she hadn’t yet had the pleasure. The interview for the rooms had been done exclusively by Yang and Weiss had appreciated the love and devotion she exhibited when she spoke about needing to take care of her sister. Yang had promised that Ruby was a pretty chill kid and that she wouldn’t cramp anyone’s style.

Weiss had seen a flash of Winter’s face in front of her eyes which convinced her to say yes. Hearing Yang speak with such conviction had certainly left a pang in her heart and made her wonder for a fleeting moment if Winter had even registered that she had been at Beacon College in Vale instead of Atlas Academy since fall.

“Yang!” a high-pitched squeak came from the doorway.

“Ruby! I told you not to carry so much!” Yang appeared seemingly out of nowhere after Weiss had seen her climb the stairs with about ten bags draped over herself in some or other fashion when she’d sat down in the living room.

“I can do it!” Ruby protested.

Yang chuckled. “Okay, sis. Well, I’m here to help so what do you need?”

Weiss blinked. What a refreshing way to handle a situation. She knew that had it been her and either of her siblings, an argument would have immediately ensued, with particular emphasis on how none of them ever needed any help.

 _Well, that was how Father raised us_ , Weiss thought. _Never back down and never show weakness._

She was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of loud bangs going up the stairs. She immediately got up to investigate. It was her house, after all.

“Ruby! Be careful! This isn’t our house. You have to treat things with respect,” Yang said in a low, firm voice.

“I didn’t mean to!” Ruby hissed back.

“If the bag is too heavy for you to carry off the floor then don’t you think I should have carried it?”

Weiss walked back into the foyer to see Yang and a young girl with black and red hair glaring at one another.

“I’m not a kid, Yang!”

Yang chuckled. “Sure, Rubes.”

Ruby stomped her foot and Weiss had to stifle a laugh. It reminded her of Whitley when he didn’t get his way. She saw grey eyes looking at her curiously.

“Are you Weiss?” Ruby asked.

_She’s forward, much like Yang._

“Excuse her, for she fell on her head several times as a kid and seems to instantly forget any manners that I ever taught her,” Yang said dryly.

Ruby huffed her annoyance. “If I fell on my head it’s because you weren’t looking after me closely enough.”

Yang laughed and pulled Ruby into a noogie. Weiss was stuck on Ruby’s reply. Yang had mentioned that it had been the two of them for a long time but she hadn’t even considered that Yang had been the one to actually raise Ruby.

Yang Xiao Long was definitely more than met the eye.

“You must be Ruby,” Weiss said, stepping forward. “Pleasure to finally meet you. With how much Yang has spoken about you, I feel like I almost know you already.”

Ruby’s eyes widened and she ducked out of Yang’s hold with a speed Weiss hadn’t seen before.

“Whatever she told you, I promise I’m not that bad in real life! I mean, I’m like, still growing and stuff and the world is really weird so I don’t understand it all but I’m learning and Yang has done such a great job of helping me and teaching me right from wrong so I have a good understanding of that, you know? Right and wrong. And-“

“Breathe, sis,” Yang murmured, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Ruby did so, taking in a huge gulp of air.

“It’s been just us pretty much our whole lives,” Yang said, her voice softer than Weiss had heard it in all the conversations they’d had. The way she looked at Ruby made Weiss’ heart pang with loneliness.

“I really hope that the two of you feel at home here,” Weiss found herself saying, dropping her gaze to the floor. She felt exposed even as the words left her mouth.

“Weiss, thank you,” Yang said earnestly.

She looked up and saw the sisters sending her matching grins. It was almost impossible to ignore the magnetism so Weiss smiled back.

* * *

True to Yang’s word, in about two hours, she and Ruby had completed what had been a very loud moving in process. The house was big and their rooms weren’t right next to one another so Weiss didn’t think the increase in noise levels would bother her too much.

After all, one of the main reasons she’d advertised for housemates was because the house was very, _very_ empty with just her in it.

“Ready for that drink, Weiss?” Yang asked, sliding on the marble floor in her socks.

Weiss looked up from her book and smiled. She wasn’t sure why but Yang and Ruby seemed to emanate joy and it was too infectious for her heart to ignore.

“What’re you making?” Ruby asked, sliding after Yang.

Weiss giggled and then blinked in surprise.

A giggle.

She’d actually giggled.

A giggle was something so spontaneous and happy and _she’d_ done it. Weiss couldn’t remember the last time she had done anything that hadn’t been planned. Her emotions were always under tight control, as her father expected. The Schnees were successful because they were unfeeling, cold. They didn’t allow emotion to dictate their actions. Everything was a numbers game. Everything could be controlled.

Weiss stood and headed for the kitchen, where she could already hear cupboard doors and drawers being opened and closed with gusto.

Weiss smiled. Part of the reason that she’d chosen to go to Beacon was to get away from her father’s way of thinking. Back in Atlas, she used up way too much energy pretending that she still believed in the Schnee approach to life. She was so tired of pretending, of going to bed every night and feeling like a fraud. She’d told her father that she was planning on scouting Vale out as a potential second headquarters for the family company, even though she had no intention of doing so. She wanted nothing to do with the Schnee Dust Company, not after the way her father – not a Schnee by birth – had warped the company’s purpose from one of invention and design into one of war profiteering.

“Hey, Weiss, you’re not allergic to anything, are you?” Yang called out, head deep in the fridge.

“No, I’m not,” she replied.

Yang re-emerged with, surprise, a grin. “Excellent. Dinner’s on me tonight. But first!”

Weiss was genuinely surprised to see an array of ingredients in front of Yang, which she very quickly threw into a shaker and handed to Ruby. Ruby’s eyes widened in excitement, as did her smile and she gripped the shaker tightly. She started shaking it and Weiss actually got dizzy trying to follow it. It just became a blur.

_This is such an interesting family. I wonder what happened to their parents._

Yang’s eyes were on the shaker as well and in a flash, she reached out of grabbed it midst blur from Ruby.

“Awww.” Ruby pouted.

Yang chuckled. “You’re getting good, sis. But I have _years_ of experience on you.”

“You’re only two years older than me!” Ruby protested.

“Yeah, but I’m like two years older in dog years. That’s way more.”

Weiss smiled, content to simply observe a truly unique relationship.

“Are you calling me a dog?” Ruby asked, her hands on her hips.

“Definitely not,” Yang deadpanned. She held up a chocolate chip cookie and waved it around.

Weiss let out a quiet laugh at how Ruby immediately followed it around exactly as a dog would. Yang handed the cookie to Ruby and gave her another one for good measure and Ruby wiggled in happiness.

_Is this what a true sisterly relationship is like?_

Weiss’ relationship with Winter wasn’t exactly strained but it certainly couldn’t be called a close one. Yang and Ruby had an age difference of two years. There was seven years between Weiss and Winter. There wasn’t much that the two of them had in common growing up. Only once Weiss had hit her teens did Winter start interacting with her more. At that stage, Winter was attending Atlas Academy with the plan to join the military shortly thereafter, much to their father’s delight. Weiss, already savvy at thirteen, saw it for what it was – having someone on the inside. Winter seemed to believe that her joining the military wasn’t to help their father and the company, but in fact to work against it.

Weiss really couldn’t understand how she thought she was achieving that when she was accelerated through the ranks and became the right-hand to the head of the Atlas military, General Ironwood. James Ironwood also happened to be her father’s best and most loyal customer.

Weiss sighed and shook her head of her thoughts. She had new housemates and worrying yet again about her sister shouldn’t be a focal point of the evening.

She lifted her gaze and saw Yang watching her curiously. Weiss noticed, not for the first time, that Yang’s eyes were an extraordinary lilac colour, and she recognised the look of concern.

“You okay?” Yang asked quietly.

Weiss nodded and let a small, but genuine, smile creep onto her face. “I’m glad to have other people in the house.”

Yang hummed and continued chopping vegetables. “It sure is a big house for just one person.”

“It’s a family home,” Weiss replied, lifting her shoulder in a shrug. She slid onto a stool on the other side of the large island where Yang was preparing dinner. Weiss was glad to see that Yang appeared to enjoy her vegetables as she kept stealing a piece of whatever she was cutting.

“Just so you’re aware, Weiss,” Yang said conversationally, “I’ve had a lot of practice pretending that I’m okay when I’m not. Game recognises game.”

Weiss blinked in surprise.

“I’m not saying that you have to trust us with all your secrets immediately, but just know that Ruby and I are here if you need anything, okay? We’re so grateful that you chose to let us live with you and I want to show that you _can_ trust us _._ ” She paused and put down the knife. With what appeared to be trained ease, Yang dropped an olive into a cocktail glass and poured out the concoction that had been resting in the shaker. She slid the glass across the island to Weiss. “I’m not the kind of person who can live in a house and not be friends with the person living in it with me.”

Weiss took the cocktail and sipped it. “Oh, wow,” she murmured. “That’s delicious. What is it?”

Yang grinned and lifted a shoulder. “I just made it. So now it’s yours. You can let me know what you want to call it.”

Weiss let out a laugh in disbelief. She definitely had not met anyone quite like Yang Xiao Long. She put the glass back down. “Yang, I appreciate what you said just now. I…” she took a breath. “Opening up has never been easy for me. I was raised to not show emotion because it meant showing weakness.”

“Dad says we show too much emotion,” Ruby piped up. She was drinking out of a juice box, making Weiss smile. She and Yang were so unabashedly themselves and it was refreshing.

“Well, you’re stuck with us at least until next March,” Yang said with a wink that had Weiss blushing. “We’ll probably be best friends long before then, though.”

Weiss had to laugh out loud. “You think so?”

Yang touched her nose with the _very_ sharp knife she was using to cut vegetables. “I have a sixth sense about these things. You’re not gonna be able to get rid of us.”

“You’re assuming that I won’t want to,” Weiss replied.

“Like I said, I have a sixth sense.”

“Hmmm. We’ll see. The last three months of school is tough.”

Yang scoffed. “Not when you absolutely love what you’re studying.”

“What are you studying?” Weiss asked, realising she didn’t know.

“Kinesiology and physio.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Yep, I’m fascinated with how the body works, more so how to help it work when it gets stuck.”

“That’s…beautiful,” Weiss murmured, taking another sip of her cocktail. Gods, it really was good. “I don’t know you very well, Yang. Not yet,” she amended. “But I can see that you are a genuine and admirable person.”

Weiss could have sworn she saw a light blush dust Yang’s cheeks.

“Thank you, Weiss.” Yang glanced at Ruby, who just smiled widely back at her. “I do try and be the best person I can be so that Ruby has a positive role model.”

“You’re the bestest sister anyone could have asked for!” Ruby shouted, causing both Yang and Weiss to wince slightly.

Ruby threw her arms around Yang who, Weiss noticed, was very quick to move the knife far away from them both. The tenderness of their hug caused Weiss to glance away, feeling like she was intruding on a moment.

She was suddenly really looking forward to the last few months of school before she headed back to Atlas for the summer.

She had a good feeling that Yang and Ruby were going to be around for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! This is fun :)

Yang stretched awake, yawning loudly and rubbing her eyes. She glanced around her room and smiled. She’d never had such a big bedroom in her life. She was pretty sure that the living room in their house on Patch was smaller than her bedroom. Initially, Yang had let her imagination wander when she’d seen the space, picturing a mini gym in the corner where she could pump iron and not have Ruby teasing her endlessly about having bigger muscles than Dad.

Yang sighed and glanced at her nightstand where a photo of the three of them rested. Dad, Yang and Ruby. It had been just the three of them for so long. It had been just Yang and Ruby for even longer.

She couldn’t be mad at her dad for sending them away. He hadn’t been the same ever since losing Summer, Ruby’s mom, and it didn’t help that Raven, Yang’s mom, still flitted in and out of their lives, never quite giving them a clean break from her.

The fact that Ruby was the spitting image of Summer was the last straw for Dad. Yang would _never_ risk Ruby finding him the way that she had. No child should ever have to find their father after-

Yang shook her head of the image burned into her mind since the age of twelve.

“Nope, nope. Not doing that,” she muttered. She shoved the covers off her legs and stood up, stretching leisurely. Her joints popped into place as her body properly woke up. Yang did some stretches before pulling on a pair of sweatpants and heading downstairs. She could already hear pots and pans clanging around in the kitchen and she winced.

_I should have a blanket rule that Ruby’s not allowed in the kitchen without me._

Ruby was pretty much a disaster in the kitchen. The only thing that she could make was chocolate-chip cookies and they were _to die for_. Everything else, even a cup of coffee, was begging for disaster. Yang had developed a love for cooking from an early age so that had been her job for many years.

“Step away from the kitchen utensils,” Yang announced, walking into the kitchen.

Ruby pouted, while trying to balance three pans in her arms. She wasn’t even holding them by the handles.

“But I wanted to surprise you with breakfast,” she said sadly.

Yang smiled affectionately and relieved her of the pans. “You’re the sweetest sister ever. I appreciate that you want to do that, but Weiss seems like a nice gal so it’s probably not a good idea to burn down her kitchen.”

“Yes, please refrain from doing that,” Weiss said dryly, joining them in the kitchen.

Ruby squeaked and hid behind Yang who just laughed.

“Rubes, come on. Weiss is nice.” She snorted at her own pun, while Weiss just rolled her eyes. “Sorry, she’s eager to please.”

Weiss cracked a smile and even though it was a small one, Yang could tell that it was genuine. She grabbed two pans and twirled them expertly in her hands as she placed them on the stove.

“What are you in the mood for, Weiss? Omelette? Eggs Benedict? Yang’s BEC Extraordinaire?”

“Dare I ask what Yang’s BEC Extraordinaire is?”

“Oh, it’s _so_ good!“ Ruby gushed, jumping onto the chair next to Weiss. “It’s the best breakfast ever. Yang invented it so long ago. She toasts the bread in the pan with butter, kinda like French toast but not really. And then she cooks egg and bacon _on the bread_ so that all the flavours mesh together and _then_ she adds so much cheese to make it all gooey and yummy.”

Weiss raised her eyebrows. “Well, that does sound rather enticing.”

“Three YBE’s coming up!”

Yang hummed to herself as she made breakfast, content with Ruby carrying the conversation. Not that Weiss had much of a chance to get a word in edgeways. Yang smiled to herself. Ruby was _very_ excitable and it poured out of her in every way. She knew that she’d been around it for Ruby’s whole life so she was used to it, but for someone like Weiss who definitely seemed to like her own space, it was probably a lot.

Yang hadn’t known too much about the Schnee family other than the fact that they were probably the biggest manufacturer of anything and everything on Remnant. As far as she was concerned, Weiss was Weiss, not Weiss Schnee. She determined a person’s merit on their character and treatment of others and so far, Weiss was a pretty awesome person.

The doorbell echoed and Weiss frowned, clearly not expecting anyone. As she left the kitchen, Ruby practically lay on the counter to get closer to Yang.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said dryly. “You’re waiting until they’re _all_ done.”

“But Yang,” Ruby whined. “I’m your favourite baby sister!”

“That excuse never works on me yet you still use it,” Yang chuckled. “I’m making you an extra two so sit back on that chair and try to remember that somewhere deep inside, a civilised human resides.”

Ruby pulled a face. “She sounds boring.”

Yang laughed out loud. “Amen, sister.”

Ruby grinned widely and opened her mouth to say something but Weiss came back into the kitchen with another person behind her.

“Ruby, Yang, I’d like to introduce you to Blake Belladonna. She’ll be taking the fourth room.”

Yang was focussing on not burning the breakfast so she let Ruby monopolise the introduction. Once she was sure that the YBEs were toasting evenly, she looked up and promptly lost all capability to speak.

“Uh…”

Blake Belladonna was the very definition of perfection. She had long black hair with striking yellow eyes and a cute little nose and mouth. She was wearing black jeans with a white tank covered by a black waistcoat.

Ruby grinned at Yang’s reaction, knowing exactly the reason. “Please excuse my sister. She’s an absolutely useless lesbian and you are so her type.”

“Ruby!” Yang squeaked, her face immediately burning with embarrassment.

“What, it’s true!” Ruby insisted.

Yang closed her eyes and counted to three, took a deep breath and opened them again. “Hey, I’m Yang. I’d shake your hand but they’re all oily from breakfast. Speaking of, are you hungry?”

Blake tilted her head forward. “Sure, why not? I haven’t had a chance to eat anything yet.”

“Excellent. Ruby, you’re sacrificing one of yours.”

“What? No! Why?” Ruby fell onto the counter dramatically.

“Oh my,” Blake murmured.

“I quickly discovered that this is just how she is,” Weiss explained. “After the first ten times, it kinda grew on me.”

“Aw, yes. Nice Weiss strikes again!” Ruby whisper-yelled to Yang who gave her a warning look but winked when Weiss’ back was turned.

A smirk from Blake told her that she’d caught it, though, and Yang grinned sheepishly.

As distracting as Blake was, and as much as Yang just wanted to stare at her for hours, she took great pride in the food she made so she kept her attention strictly on breakfast.

“Does anyone mind a little spice?” she asked.

“I defer to you, Yang,” Weiss replied. “This is your creation after all. I’ve been quite spoiled since you arrived. My very own cocktail and now a special breakfast.”

Yang lifted a shoulder. “I’m grateful, Weiss. You took a chance on us and hopefully we haven’t made you regret it.”

Weiss smiled. “Give it time, Yang. You’ve only been here two days.”

Yang grinned widely. She glanced at Blake and held up the bottle of hot sauce. “Yay or nay?”

Blake held her gaze. “I don’t mind a little spice.”

_Oh, I’m pretty sure that was an innuendo._

Yang winked at her and filed away the light blush that dusted Blake’s cheeks before serving up breakfast. Blake had just arrived and although she was, as Ruby had so memorably said, _exactly_ her type, Yang didn’t want to create an awkward dynamic in the house just because of her attraction to Blake. That wouldn’t be fair to Blake and it _definitely_ wouldn’t be fair to Weiss who, in Yang’s book, was pretty fucking awesome.

Yang plated up her breakfast creation and walked around to put a plate in front of Weiss and Blake.

“ _Bon appetit_ ,” she said.

“Yang, this smells exquisite,” Weiss replied, humming as she leaned over the plate to take it in.

Yang grinned. “I hope it tastes as good as it smells, then.”

“Oh, it does,” Ruby vowed, practically vibrating with excitement as Yang set her plate with two sandwiches down in front of her. “You didn’t put any hot sauce on, did you?”

“Have I ever put hot sauce on anything you’ve eaten?”

“Nope! Cos you’re the bestest big sister ever!”

Yang walked to the fridge to hide her blush. Ruby often told her things like that but the gusto and genuineness of her words almost made her heart beat a little faster.

She grabbed a bottle of water for herself and a juice box for Ruby. She put it down next to her sister, who was already halfway through her first sandwich and kissed her head. “Slowly, Rubes.”

“Is so good, though!” Ruby said though a mouthful of egg, bacon and cheese.

“I have to agree,” Blake said, nodding. “This is quite possibly one of the greatest things I’ve ever tasted.”

“Definitely spoiled,” Weiss added, taking another bite.

“Well, I’m glad you like them,” Yang said with a grin. She picked up her own YBE and bit into it, humming in satisfaction.

The rest of breakfast was a quiet affair as they ate. It was broken, expectedly, by Ruby letting out a loud burp.

“Oh, Christ,” Yang muttered, shaking her head.

“Compliments to the chef!” Ruby said cheerily.

“I promise that I did teach her manners. She tends to forget them _all the time_ ,” Yang said, leaning over and flicking Ruby’s ear.

“That’s sisterly abuse. I’m calling the cops.”

Weiss just chuckled and Yang saw Blake had a smile playing on her lips too.

“Would you like another one, ladies?” she asked, taking their empty plates away.

“Oh no. That was quite sufficient,” Weiss replied, patting her stomach. “It was delicious, Yang. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” Yang sang as she deposited the plates into the sink and started the water. She hummed to herself as she let the water run hot.

“I’ll do the washing up,” a voice said softly next to her.

Yang jumped. “Holy fuck!” She gripped her chest. “Damn, Blake! That’s some ninja sneaking right there.”

Blake grinned. “So I’ve been told. Now scoot. You cooked breakfast. You shouldn’t have to wash the dishes too.”

“Eh, it’s how it’s always been. I’m used to it.”

“Well, I’m here now and I say that I’ll do the dishes when you cook.”

Yang stepped aside and leaned against the counter. “So kinda like partners?”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Where are you from?” Yang asked after a pause.

“Menagerie, originally. I’ve…uh, moved around a bit since then.”

“Damn. Menagerie is the top on my bucket list of places to visit. It looks so beautiful and warm there.”

“Oh, it’s definitely warm.”

“Girls walking in bikinis all day,” Yang said wistfully.

“Oh, you’re one of _those_.”

Yang grinned. “What, a lesbian? Yeah, pretty sure Ruby outed me earlier.”

Blake smiled. “No, you’re someone who goes to tropical islands to look at girls, probably have a summer fling, break their hearts and leave, never to be heard from again.”

“Hmmm, you seem to have me pegged, Blake. What kind of girls do you like, then?”

Blake met her gaze and smirked. “I’m more partial to brunettes.”

“You know, I’ve been thinking about changing my hair colour,” Yang replied. “I could rock a brown, right?”

“Oh my God. You’re incorrigible,” Blake said with a laugh.

“That I am.” Yang took a breath. “Just let me know if I overstep. My default setting is to flirt with beautiful women but I know that this is very different to meeting out in the world.”

Blake paused in her scrubbing of the plates. “Noted, Yang. But if you do overstep, trust me that you would know.”

“Yep. I flirt with a conscience.”

Blake laughed. “Is that even a thing?”

“Totally is. I’m living proof.”

Blake hummed. “And where are you from?”

“Ruby and I are from Patch. Grew up there, went to Signal and then jumped to the mainland to go to Beacon.”

“And Ruby?”

“Oh, she’s like crazy clever. She got early admission to Beacon. She’s studying engineering.”

“That’s impressive.”

Yang smiled proudly. “It sure is. She’s gonna go places and I can’t wait to see her change the world.”

“You really love her.”

“Yep. No one in the world I love more.”

“That’s really sweet,” Blake said in a soft voice. “I don’t have any siblings, though I always wanted one.”

“Well, I’m sure Ruby will latch onto you pretty quickly. She’s like that.”

“And what are you like, Yang?” Blake asked, her eyes flashing with something that Yang took as a challenge.

“I’m dedicated,” Yang started. “I’m loyal. I will do everything in my power to keep the people I care about safe.”

“You like taking care of people,” Blake stated.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“Hmmm.”

“Do you want me to take care of you, Blake?” Yang asked, sliding closer to her.

Blake looked at her and raised her eyebrows. She lifted a hand covered in suds and blew them onto Yang’s face. While Yang spluttered, she giggled.

“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself, Yang.”

“No doubt. Sometimes it’s just better when you have someone helping you.”

“Maybe.”

“Let me know if you need any help, Blake. I’m pretty handy.”

“You’re pretty handsy?”

_Oh, God. She really is perfect._

Yang grinned. “That too.”

Blake laughed. “Keep them in sight at all times. Hands that can cook like that are probably very dangerous.”

“Oh, definitely. I have to keep a disclaimer on me at all times.”

They both burst out laughing.

“Seriously, though. Do you have any bags or anything you need help with?”

“Is this your hands on welcome to the house?” Blake asked.

_Okay, so the flirting game is still going then._

“What can I say? I’m dedicated.”

“So you mentioned,” Blake murmured with a smile.

Yang grinned and left Blake to finish the washing up as she cleaned the kitchen. If she was going to be spending a lot of time in there, which she was happy to do, she liked to keep it in an excellent state. She glanced up and saw Weiss and Ruby sitting at the other end of the island, watching them.

“What?” she asked, looking down to check if she had anything on her shirt.

“Was that you flirting?” Weiss asked curiously.

Yang laughed. “Nah, not really. Blake’s new so I think she should have a few days to settle in before the flirting really starts.”

“I’m a pretty hard nut to crack,” Blake chimed in from the sink. “Don’t think it’s going to be easy.”

“If it were easy, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun,” Yang replied.

Weiss shook her head. “I don’t understand flirting.”

“Because you’ve never flirted or because no one’s flirted with you?” Yang asked.

“Uh…both?”

Ruby’s eyes went wide and she rested her face on her hands. Yang smiled. Anything regarding social interactions had Ruby totally fascinated since she was super awkward and shy in social situations. Yang did her best to boost her confidence but Ruby was quite happy being the socially awkward genius she was.

“Well, I think that it is our societal duty, Blake, to educate young Weiss here on the intricacies of flirting.”

“By example?” Blake asked, moving next to Yang as she dried her hands.

“Exactly.”

“Well, like you said, why don’t we give Blake a few days to settle in before you scare her off,” Weiss suggested.

Yang gripped her chest in mock indignation. “Weiss! Are you insinuating that I am a bad flirt? That my attempts at wooing Blake would result in her feeling totally awkward?”

“Yes,” Weiss, Ruby and Blake all said.

“Wow, okay.” Yang grinned at Blake. “You get a week, Belladonna, and then I’m coming for your ass.”

“Gotta catch me first,” Blake sassed, snapping the dish towel against Yang’s butt successfully.

“Ow, shit!” Yang rubbed her stinging ass and half-heartedly glared at Blake as she walked back around the island to stand with Weiss and Ruby. “You know, I think this is the beginning of something beautiful,” she added.

Weiss smiled. “I don’t think I could have found three more interesting housemates.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Ruby asked worriedly.

“Yes, Ruby,” Weiss replied with a chuckle.

Their phones all chimed at the same time.

“Weird,” Yang mumbled, pulling hers out her pocket. It was a news alert.

_Due to the growing pandemic concerns, Vale has issued a mandatory quarantine. Residents are to remain in their houses until further notice. For more information, see our website._

“Well, we’re definitely stuck with one another now,” Blake murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story. I wrote this chapter and then watched Birds of Prey and I realised that Harley's breakfast sandwich thing is pretty much a Yang BEC Extraordinaire... :D
> 
> ace_hlnwst on all socials!


	3. Chapter 3

“Yo, who’s hungry?” Yang called, walking into the kitchen the following afternoon.

“Me!” Ruby chimed, appearing out of nowhere, a huge grin on her face.

“You’re literally the reason I make lunch, Rubes,” Yang said with a chuckle. “You can’t go more than three hours without eating something.”

“I’m a growing girl!” Ruby replied in protest. She flexed her non-existent bicep. “How else am I gonna keep these gains?”

“You call those gains?” Blake asked with a smile as she entered the kitchen.

Yang smirked. “Now, Blake, if you wanna see gains, look no further.”

She flexed her own muscles and was delighted to see Blake’s eyes trace over her arms. She knew she was in great shape and it felt amazing that Blake seemed to appreciate it.

Soon after they’d gotten the news of the quarantine, Yang had ordered her home gym like she’d thought about. Working out was cathartic for her and if she wasn’t able to go out to the gym, she needed to have that outlet. Thankfully, she had a bit of a nest egg and was able to get a high quality set up. She couldn’t wait for it to arrive in a few days.

And hey, if it meant that Blake’s eyes kept roaming over her body, she was definitely not complaining.

Yang pulled open the fridge and smiled. Weiss had told her to make a list of everything that she wanted in the fridge and encouraged her not to hold back, especially given that they were going to be stuck indoors for the foreseeable future. Without question, Weiss had ordered everything and it had been delivered that morning. They were set.

“Three meat salad?” she asked Ruby.

“Oooh, yeah,” Ruby agreed, clapping her hands.

Yang nodded and gathered all the necessary ingredients. She caught Blake watching her with a small smile on her face and winked. Blake’s expression didn’t change but Yang could tell that her cheeks had gotten a little redder.

Internally, Yang did a happy dance. She was _super_ attracted to Blake, more so than she had been to anyone in a very long time. She’d put so much focus into Ruby to ensure that she was happy and taken care of that her own romantic life had just been moved to one side. Yang didn’t mind that sacrifice because Ruby was in her element at Beacon and she was super proud.

“I wonder how our classes and stuff are gonna work,” Yang mused as she started chopping up vegetables.

“One of my professors sent me an email this morning,” Blake said, pulling out her phone. “They’re going to try and get a remote set up from their houses and record lectures. They’ll post them on the intranet for people to access.”

“That’s pretty neat of them.”

“Yeah, I don’t think this is ideal for anyone with only three months left in the school year.”

“All my projects are still at school,” Ruby said with a pout. “I can’t work on anything.”

Yang’s brain started working. If she didn’t find something to occupy Ruby’s mind, Ruby was going to drive them all crazy. She made a note to talk to Weiss about any home improvement jobs she may have. She glanced around the kitchen and pulled her mouth to one side. Given that they lived in one of the more modern houses on the block, she doubted that there would be anything.

“Rubes, we’re gonna start our summer training schedule a bit early this year,” Yang told her.

As predicted, Ruby groaned dramatically and started pounding the countertop. “Why? Why, why, why? Why me? Why now?”

Yang smiled. “Because you need something to use up at least _some_ of that energy.” She dropped her voice to a stage whisper. “I don’t need you scaring Blake off.”

Blake snorted in laughter which made Yang happy.

“ _Me_?” Ruby asked incredulously. “You’re the useless lesbian. You don’t need any help from me.”

“Very true. My skills are far beyond interference from a mere mortal such as yourself.”

“Oh my God,” Blake chuckled quietly.

“Wait, do you want me to interfere now?” Ruby asked, frowning in confusion.

“I was kidding, Rubes.”

“Maybe I should, though. How else will I fully fulfil my role as annoying little sister?” Ruby mused.

“Do that and I’ll stop cooking for you,” Yang threatened.

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Can’t risk that. Sorry, Blake.”

“Why are you apologising to me?”

“Because now I can’t run interference when my sister attempts to flirt with you.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. I’m a big girl.”

“I think what Blake is trying to say is that she’ll pretend _really_ hard to not be affected by my roguish good looks, incredible physique and top tier flirting, but she’ll inevitably give in.”

“You have quite the inflated opinion of your abilities,” Blake commented.

“Is it inflated if it’s based on fact?”

“You have references?” Blake shot back.

Yang grinned. “Are you asking for my number, Belladonna?”

Blake held her gaze. “Why would I need your number when I can snap my fingers and you’ll do whatever I ask?”

Yang’s mouth suddenly went dry.

_I mean, she has a point._

“That’s called chivalry,” Yang said. “And you wouldn’t call on me unless you agreed that my…abilities didn’t deliver.”

“Oh, save me,” Ruby muttered. “Weiss!” she wailed, spinning off her stool and running out of the kitchen.

Yang laughed. “Surefire way to get some alone time,” she said, sending Blake another wink.

Blake just smiled.

“Are your family in quarantine too?” Yang asked.

“They haven’t heard yet. Menagerie is quite far removed from everything so I’m not sure if the pandemic has hit them yet.”

“Well, I hope that everyone stays safe and healthy.”

“Thank you,” Blake murmured. After a moment, she asked, “What about your family?”

Yang faltered momentarily. “Uh, as far as I know everyone’s fine.” She hoped that Blake wouldn’t question her further because as attracted as she was, she wasn’t about to open the can of worms that was her messed up family history.

“So do you have a plan to keep your sister busy in these coming weeks?” Blake asked in a teasing tone.

Yang groaned out loud. “Don’t remind me.”

* * *

Weiss sat on her window seat, her book forgotten in her lap as she distractedly gazed out of the window. Her bedroom overlooked her neighbour’s back garden. At that moment, her neighbour happened to be training outside – the reason for Weiss’ distraction.

“Weiss!”

She jumped at Ruby’s high-pitched whine, her book dropping to the floor.

“Ruby, don’t we have a rule about knocking?” she asked in exasperation, leaning down to pick up her book.

“I know,” Ruby said, falling dramatically onto Weiss’ immaculately made bed.

Weiss couldn’t help but smile. Ruby was a breath of fresh air. She’d never met anyone quite like her.

“Yang and Blake are being all cute and gross again.”

Weiss admittedly didn’t know an awful lot about flirting but it certainly appeared that Yang and Blake were into one another. She glanced out the window again and swallowed.

“Who’s that?”

Ruby jumped onto the seat next to Weiss and peered out the window. Weiss felt herself burning with embarrassment.

“Oh, cool! That’s Pyrrha Nikos!”

“Uh, yes. Yes, it is.”

“That’s so funny. Yang’s gonna die.” And then Ruby was gone. Weiss blinked, suddenly worried.

_They won’t know. They can’t know. I haven’t even mentioned her._

Then again, she _was_ Pyrrha Nikos, junior Olympian in javelin and archery. Weiss sighed and looked outside where Pyrrha was doing a set of burpees, looking _very_ attractive in workout shorts and a sports bra. Her long red hair was tied back in a high pony to keep out of her face. Weiss felt her heart start to beat a bit faster.

“No, no,” she muttered, moving from the window seat.

Ruby had called Yang a useless lesbian the previous day but Weiss was pretty sure that she was even more useless. At least Yang knew how to flirt. Weiss had been crushing on Pyrrha for the last six months and never even spoken to her.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered, leaving her room and going downstairs.

* * *

“Yang! Yang!” Ruby shouted, sliding into the kitchen,

Blake jumped at the sudden increase in volume.

“Ruby, will you chill, please,” Yang said in a calm voice. “You don’t need to be at 100% volume the whole day.”

“I know, I know, sorry!”

Something told Blake that she wasn’t really sorry. Whatever had Ruby excited seemed to keep ger bouncing from one foot to another constantly.

“You’ll never guess who lives next door?”

“Cinder Fall?” Blake asked dryly.

“You like Cinder Fall?” Yang asked with a smirk.

Blake lifted a shoulder. “More partial to brunettes, remember?”

Yang grinned widely and Blake tried to ignore the flutter in her chest.

 _No, stop it. You are_ not _going down that road. Even if Yang is absolutely your type too and even if that smile makes you want to kiss her, it would be a disaster. You’re not girlfriend material. Some harmless flirting is fine, but nothing more than that._

“No, not Cinder Fall,” Ruby said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Then who?”

“Pyrrha!”

Yang put the knife down as her eyebrows went up, a smile creeping onto her face. “Pyrrha?”

Blake frowned. She didn’t know what that tone was in Yang’s voice, but she knew for sure she didn’t like it.

“How awesome is that!” Ruby said, clapping her hands. “Come on, she’s out in her back yard right now!”

Yang quickly washed her hands and followed Ruby out of the kitchen.

_What the…_

Blake was definitely not going to miss out on whatever was going on so she quickly followed them into the living room and out through the sliding door.

Yang was already climbing a tree that bordered the boundary wall and Blake crossed her arms.

“What on earth is she doing?” Weiss asked, appearing next to Blake.

“It would appear that they know your neighbour,” Blake replied.

“Oh no,” Weiss whispered.

Blake glanced at her. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“Uh, um, n-no reason.”

_Oh, there is absolutely a reason._

Blake decided to drop it. She’d only been there a day and Ruby and Yang were already proving to be quite the pair to handle.

“Yo, Nikos!” Yang shouted one she was high enough to look over the fence. “Your form sucks.”

Blake’s eyes widened. “Pyrrha Nikos?” she asked incredulously.

Ruby was laughing from the base of the tree.

“Yang?” came a voice from the other side.

“Oh no,” Weiss whispered again.

“Weiss, are you okay?” Blake asked.

“Uh, yes! Of course.”

_Right, not gonna dive into that._

“Dude, vault the wall,” Yang was saying. “Can’t be that hard for you.”

A laugh echoed from the other side of the wall. “We were just told to go into quarantine, Yang. We’re not meant to be socialising.”

“Boo hoo. You’re such a bore.” Yang had a brilliant smile on her face and Blake felt a tug of something akin to jealously stir in her chest.

_The hell? I have no reason nor right to be jealous of anyone. I just met her yesterday. Jesus, Belladonna. Get your shit together._

“Hey, we could move that table against the wall and watch, if you’d like,” Blake suggested to Weiss.

“No!” Weiss replied immediately, her eyes wide.

“Pyrrha, you haven’t been anywhere close to the danger zones. You’re in spring training,” Yang protested.

_That was certainly said with an air of familiarity._

“Rubes and I have the immune systems of frigging titans so you know we’re fine.”

“Yang, you’re insufferable,” the voice said.

“I know,” Yang replied with a cocky grin.

Blake felt her lips twitch. She hated that she found Yang’s arrogance so incredibly attractive, especially since she knew that it was for show. The few conversations that they’d had during mealtimes had painted a very clear picture of who Yang Xiao Long was and Blake was an exceptionally good judge of character.

“I’m not going to vault into Weiss’ garden without her permission,” the voice said.

“Yo, Weiss, Pyrrha can come over, right?” Yang shouted at her.

“Oh no,” Weiss whispered again.

On the other hand, Blake was having a hard time reading Weiss and that was probably because she was super controlled and didn’t give anything away. Blake knew that she was quite fond of Yang and Ruby, even though they’d only recently met. The fact that she was so controlled probably said a lot about Weiss too.

“Weiss?” Yang called again.

Blake looked at her. Weiss had a look of trepidation on her face and there was definitely some nervousness. She caught Yang’s eye and shook her head subtly. Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly in confusion but she nodded.

“Pyrrha, is your number still the same? I’ll text you and we can do this in a more civilised manner.”

A bout of laughter. “You? Civilised?”

Ruby squealed in delight.

“Is that Ruby?”

“Hi, Pyrrha!” Ruby yelled from the bottom of the tree.

“Yes, Yang, my number is still the same. You’d know that if you’d ever used it after high school.”

 _Oh, they went to the same high school._ Blake wasn’t sure why that piece of information made her feel a sense of relief.

“Cool. I’ll text you, loser.”

“My three Olympic gold medals would suggest I am anything but a loser, Xiao Long. But if you have trouble remembering that, perhaps a consultation of the records held in high school would refresh your memory?”

Blake’s mouth dropped open at the sass. She didn’t think that Yang allowed anyone to talk to her that way. Then again, it was Pyrrha Nikos who was pretty much a legend.

Yang just laughed. “Curse you and your god-like abilities.”

“Text me,” said the voice.

Yang jumped down form the tree, landing easily. She grabbed Ruby in a headlock and the two playfully tussled for a few minutes before Ruby managed to get away and ran inside the house. Yang jogged up to Blake and Weiss, her cheeks flushed and a big smile on her face.

“Sorry about that. I really didn’t think I’d see Pyrrha in Vale, let alone as our neighbour.”

Yang stepped around Blake and their hands brushed as she passed. Blake tried to control her reaction, but she was pretty sure a little gasp slipped out.

_It was surprise, that’s it. Surprise that a simple touch could send a shock up my entire arm._

Blake closed her eyes. That was not a good sign.

“So, uh, how do you know P-Pyrrha?” Weiss asked, her voice uncharacteristically uneasy.

They both followed Yang back into the kitchen, who immediately had to shoo Ruby away from her salad bowl.

“Oh, we went to high school together on Patch. We competed in everything sports-wise but she’s way better than me,” Yang said.

“She’s not that much better,” Ruby argued. “You two traded records right up until senior year when she got that coach and then a few months later, she was off to the Olympics!”

Yang lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t care about it as much as she did. And you can’t deny that she’s insanely good.”

Blake nodded. Pyrrha was definitely talented and her three gold medals confirmed that.

“So you had a healthy rivalry then?” Weiss asked.

“Oh, we were never rivals,” Yang said, grinning. “We liked kissing each other too much.”

“What?” Blake and Weiss asked in disbelief.

“Pyrrha and Yang dated for most of high school,” Ruby said. “They broke up when Pyrrha went to the Olympics.”

Yang chuckled. “Yeah, but it was fine. By that stage I think we were more friends than girlfriends.”

Yang dated Pyrrha Nikos. Blake sighed. That was some stiff competition.

_Wait, what? No, there’s no competition._

She swallowed the little burning ball of jealousy in her chest.

_Blake, stop it. You’re not going to be her girlfriend. Harmless flirting, that’s it. Nothing more._

Somehow, Blake feared that it wasn’t going to be that easy. Maybe the flirting was a bad idea…

“Yo, Belladonna, I know you’re in dreamland obviously thinking about me but do you think you could pass me some bowls from the cupboard behind you?” Yang’s voice snapped her back to the present and she felt her face flush. She just hoped that she wasn’t blushing too bright. Yang would love that.

“Weiss, what’s wrong?” Yang’s voice had dropped all its bravado and that soft concern that had Blake’s heart racing made a return.

“Uh, n-nothing. I suppose I didn’t realise that we lived in such a small world. Imagine, you and my neighbour used to be g-girlfriends.”

Blake pulled out the bowls for Yang and narrowed her eyes at Weiss’ forced tone. Why was she being so awkward?

As Blake handed the bowls to Yang, getting a wink for her trouble, she turned to Weiss and saw the pained expression on her face.

_Oh my God. That’s it! Weiss likes Pyrrha!_

Weiss looked up at her and saw the realisation on her face. Her eyes begged Blake not to say anything and Blake nodded comfortingly.

_Well, this quarantine is certainly going to be an interesting one._


	4. Chapter 4

As Blake exited the bathroom after brushing her teeth, she heard soft humming coming from Weiss’ bedroom. The door was slightly ajar so she waited a bit.

_Damn. Weiss can certainly hum. I bet she’s got a great voice._

Remembering the scene at lunch earlier, Blake took initiative and knocked on Weiss’s door.

“Yes?”

Blake pushed the door open and smiled. “Hey, Weiss. I was hoping I could ask you something?”

She watched Weiss’ face carefully and saw a very brief faltering in her controlled expression. “Of course, Blake. Please come in.”

Blake sat on the bed next to Weiss. “Okay, I’m not going to mince words here. You like Pyrrha and-“

Weiss jumped up and practically ran to her bedroom door, checking outside before closing it.

_Hoo boy._

“Yang and Ruby are on the opposite end of the hall,” Blake said. “They’re not going to hear us.”

Weiss swallowed visibly. “I’d, uh, rather not risk anything.” She rubbed her hands against her nightgown and sat down on the bed again.

“You like Pyrrha,” Blake stated to get the conversation going again.

“I…uh… Y-Yes,” Weiss eventually stammered. Her eyes widened. “That’s the first time I’ve said it out loud.”

Blake cocked her head. “Are you not out, Weiss?”

“I am, that’s not the issue. I’m proud of who I am and all that. I just…”

Blake remembered part of their conversation over breakfast the previous day. “Wait, is that why you asked me and Yang about flirting?”

Weiss grimaced. “May I be frank?”

“Of course.”

She suddenly let out a small laugh. “I just heard Yang in my head saying ‘no, but you can be Weiss’ in response to that.”

Blake chuckled. Yang absolutely would take any opportunity to make a dad joke. Sun, her friend from Menagerie, did the same thing. She suspected that Yang and Sun would get along famously.

“I digress. While I knew of my preference for women from a young age, I’ve never actually been with anyone,” Weiss said. She’d started off pretty strong and then got really shy at the end.

“Wait, you’ve never had sex?” Blake asked in astonishment.

Weiss’ cheeks tinted pink.

“Sorry, that was very rude,” Blake backtracked quickly. “I just meant that you’re stunning, Weiss. Have you never had propositions?”

“Oh,” Weiss said softly. “Well, my father enjoyed setting me up with eligible young men at dinner parties and the like even though he knew I was gay. But propositions from girls, from anyone I would want to form a connection with? No.”

Blake felt dreadful. “Shit, Weiss. I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with that. I thought I had it bad on Menagerie but the name Schnee is global. Everyone knows you.”

Weiss nodded, looking down at her hands. “Yes. Notoriety does not bode well for romance.”

Blake was definitely starting to get a far better understanding of Weiss and, while she was a good judge of character, she had let rumours and gossip shape her opinion of Weiss Schnee.

“You don’t just want a hook up,” Blake said softly, her tone causing Weiss to look up at her with wide eyes. “You want love. You want romance. You want the whole nine yards.”

Weiss nodded slowly. “I mean, doesn’t everyone want that?”

Blake lifted a shoulder, ignoring the flash of Yang’s face in her mind. “Some people may agree or disagree, depending on their experience. Is… Is that why you’re so nervous around Pyrrha?”

Weiss sighed. “I’ve been crushing on Pyrrha for six months and we’ve never even had a conversation. We’ve been introduced – my father insisted when he heard that she’d moved in next door – but that was brief and there were other people around.”

“Okay. So how about we start small? You’re gonna need to talk to her eventually, especially since Yang knows she’s next door and apparently they were a thing.” Blake rolled her eyes and tried to hide the distaste in her voice but the amusement in Weiss’s eyes told her that she wasn’t very successful.

“I usually don’t have a problem talking to people that I don’t know. I’ve grown up doing it. I know how to talk to people at dinner parties and such. I just… I don’t think I know _how_ to talk to someone that I have a crush on.”

“Right, that’s understandable.”

“How did you manage it?” Weiss asked. “We had similar upbringings in high society and you’re clearly more socially balanced than I am.”

Blake smiled. “Well, first of all, Menagerie high society and Atlas high society run in quite different circles. Secondly, my parents were always at rallies where they met friends so I learned how to interact with people that way. I think, perhaps, that because I was surrounded by people with common goals meant that I didn’t have to watch what I did or said as much as you did.”

Weiss nodded in understanding. “Coming to Beacon was more than getting away from my father and proving my suspicions about him embezzling arms to the military. It was to prove to myself that I wasn’t a carbon copy of my parents, that I could be my own person, even with the last name Schnee.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing really well. You met Yang and Ruby and you seem to really like them.”

Weiss smiled. “I really do. They’re truly genuine people and I haven’t really met too many of those.”

“And you met me!” Blake added.

“Yes, well, you and I also have a rather different understanding of one another,” Weiss replied. “We’ve been conversing for months via email and text.”

Blake hummed. “Yes, well, that’s probably something we should keep to ourselves. I don’t think it’s necessary for us to involve Yang and Ruby in this.”

“Oh, absolutely not,” Weiss agreed immediately. “I consider them friends and I don’t want them mixed up in my messy family drama.”

“So I’m just special, then?” Blake teased.

“You approached me, remember?” Weiss replied with a smirk.

“True, I did. Okay, back to Pyrrha. We’ve established that you’re capable of talking to people you don’t know. So take those skills and adapt them. You’re starting a conversation but it’s just about trivial things, not about stock markets and business mergers and whatever else you were roped into talking about at those parties.”

Weiss giggled. “Are you sure you never attended a Schnee dinner party?”

Blake winked. “I can’t be giving you all my secrets now, can I? After all, we only just met.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true. I do feel as though I know you quite well, Blake.”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” Blake said with a smile. “Meeting in person always adds that new element of discovery so I’m still figuring things out but I enjoy learning about people.”

“Uh, what kind of things do you think I should talk to Pyrrha about?” Weiss asked.

“Okay, so I would advise staying away from the topic of Yang because we don’t know if that’s fully over and if you’re trying-“

“Wait, you think that they’ll get back together?” Weiss asked, her eyes widening in horror. “Oh, I didn’t even consider that! Oh, it’s hopeless. There’s no way I can compete with Yang? I mean, she’s gorgeous, funny, cooks amazingly and has such a wonderful heart.”

Blake grinned. “You sure you don’t want to date Yang?”

“Oh, please. I may not know much about flirting but even I can tell that there is something between you two.”

“Nothing’s going to happen.”

“You seem quite certain of that.”

“I am.”

“Yet you flirt with her constantly.”

Blake lifted a shoulder. “It’s fun for both of us.”

“That…seems dangerous.”

“Why dangerous?”

“Because it’s going to inevitably lead to something more than fun. I’m just trying to play Devil’s Advocate here. We’re all stuck together and I don’t want things to become awkward or tense or, heaven forbid, R-rated.”

“You can say sex, Weiss,” Blake teased.

“Blake, I’m being serious. I saw how jealous you were of Pyrrha. I have no say in what you do with your personal life but I don’t want you or Yang getting hurt just because you’re having too much ‘fun’.”

“Don’t worry, Weiss,” Blake said softly. “There’s no chance of getting hurt if your heart isn’t involved.”

“And yours isn’t?”

“Nope. And it’s not going to be. I’m not here for that thing you want. I’m here to help you expose your father. Admittedly, that has become more difficult with the quarantine, but you don’t need to worry about my heart. It’s good and secure.”

“Okay,” Weiss said slowly. “Just fun?”

“Just fun,” Blake confirmed.

* * *

The housemates were finishing up breakfast and Weiss was washing the dishes while Blake dried them. Ruby had already disappeared to do something but Yang was hanging around, typing on her phone. Weiss had been itching to ask who Yang was texting but she was pretty sure that was a very rude thing to ask.

“Hey, Weiss?” Yang asked.

“Yes?”

“Would it be cool if Pyrrha came over today?”

Weiss dropped the plate she’d been washing back into the sink, splashing water all over Blake and herself. Blake huffed but didn’t say anything, for which Weiss was grateful.

“Y-Yes, of course.”

_Is the house in order? Is the foyer clean? Are the surfaces dusty? Did I-_

“Great! She’ll be over in five minutes,” Yang said, sipping off the stool and leaving the kitchen.

Weiss let out a long breath that she hadn’t even realised she’d been keeping in.

“Relax, you’ve got this,” Blake whispered beside her. “And if you’d like, I’ll be at your side the whole time. You can use me as a buffer.”

“Thank you, Blake. That means a lot. I appreciate you helping me with this.”

Blake smiled. “Of course. I am warning you that it’s not going to take Yang very long to figure out that you like Pyrrha and once she knows, she’s going to tease the living hell out of you.”

Weiss groaned. “If that was an incentive to actually interact with Pyrrha when she’s here, you need to work on pep talks.”

Blake laughed and dried the last of the dishes. “Go upstairs, take a few minutes to gather yourself. I’ll hang out down here and hold the fort. You’ve got this, okay? Pyrrha would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to see what a catch you are.”

“What now?”

Weiss and Blake whirled around and saw Yang leaning against the doorway with a smirk on her face.

_Oh no._

“You like Pyrrha?” Yang asked Weiss.

_Oh no. Oh, this is bad._

“I, uh…”

Yang’s teasing smile dropped when she saw how nervous Weiss was. She rounded the island to stand in front of her. She put her hands on Weiss’ shoulders comfortingly. “Weiss, I think that you and Pyrrha would be an excellent match. For all my jokes and teasing, I consider you a friend and I do whatever I can to make sure that my friends are happy.”

Weiss blinked in surprise. “But…”

Yang smiled, pre-empting what Weiss couldn’t seem to form the words to say. “Pyrrha and I are old news. Seriously. I don’t harbour any romantic feelings for her anymore and the same can be said for her. Our relationship had run its course by senior year. She was able to focus fully on the Olympics and I…” Yang trailed off and broke eye contact momentarily. “Well, I had other stuff going on to keep me occupied.”

Not for the first time, Weiss wondered just what had driven Yang away from Patch. She always spoke so fondly of her home that it seemed odd to have left it all behind. Not that Patch was super far from Beacon but still.

“It wouldn’t be…weird for you?” Weiss asked quietly.

“You and Pyrrha? No, not in the least. I probably would have suggested that you two get together at some point because I definitely see the compatibility. And I never could quite ping you with my gaydar,” Yang concluded with a wink.

Weiss blushed. “I’m not in the closet or anything but my father certainly didn’t advertise that his daughter was a flagrant homosexual.”

Yang burst out laughing. “Do you ever talk like you’re not from the nineteenth century?”

“O-Oh, I didn’t-“

“Weiss, no, it’s a compliment. Pyrrha’s like that too. You two are actually so perfect for one another.” Yang clapped her hands. “This is gonna be so great.”

“Yang.”

They both turned to look at Blake.

“Were you jealous that my attention wasn’t on you, Blake?” Yang slipped into flirtation mode so easily and it baffled Weiss how she did that.

“Positively dripping with envy,” Blake deadpanned.

Weiss had to smile at the response.

“Don’t try and force this to happen. It needs to run its own course,” Blake continued. “No meddling.”

Yang pouted. “But I’m such an epic wingwoman.”

“That position has already been filled. If anything, you’ll probably hog Pyrrha’s attention.”

Yang laughed. “I fold. Belladonna has bested me this time. But!” she declared, holding up a finger. “I shall return, stronger than ever.”

Weiss and Blake watched as she left the kitchen.

“Dork,” Blake muttered.

_Just fun, my ass._

Weiss may have been severely lacking in the social exercise of flirting and dating but she wasn’t blind and there was no way that Blake was purely into Yang for fun flirting.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Blake warned.

“Like what?” Weiss asked innocently. “You said just fun. I’m merely trying to see how these exchanges with Yang qualify as ‘just fun’ when it’s clearly more than that.”

Blake shook her head. “It can’t be more than fun. I just…can’t.”

_Well, Blake has helped me tremendously with Pyrrha so I am going to return the favour._

The doorbell rang.

_Oh no. Once I’ve managed to talk to Pyrrha, though._

* * *

Yang bounded to the front door, catching Ruby as she flew down the stairs from wherever she’d been hiding.

“Chill, Rubes.”

Ruby practically vibrated with excitement and Yang smiled fondly. Ruby and Pyrrha had always had such a great relationship. Pyrrha was an only child and treated Ruby like her own little sister which Yang appreciated so much.

Yang opened the door and grinned. “Hey, stranger.”

Pyrrha smiled back. “Hi, Yang.”

Holding Ruby back from jumping onto Pyrrha, Yang stepped aside so that Pyrrha could enter.

Pyrrha giggled. “Let her go, Yang. She looks like she’s about to phase through you.”

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, that would be _so cool_! Imagine I moved so fast that I could split my atoms on a molecular level to manoeuvre _around_ objects!”

“What repercussions would that have for the rest of your body, though?” Yang replied. “If your atoms were able to shift that quickly, how does that affect things like your heart, your lungs? Do they all work that much faster? Does it put you at risk of-“

“Oh, I have missed you two,” Pyrrha cut in, sighing wistfully. “I can’t believe I’ve been here for ten seconds already and neither of you have hugged me.”

Yang and Ruby launched themselves at Pyrrha and the three embraced tightly. Yang smiled. It definitely felt a bit like coming home to hug Pyrrha but she didn’t get the butterflies in her stomach anymore which confirmed what she already thought – she and Pyrrha were in the past.

“Have you been here before?” Yang asked, pulling out of the hug. Ruby, however, clung to Pyrrha’s arm. Because of her god-like strength and abilities, Pyrrha was still able to move around fairly easily even with a Ruby-shaped monkey attached to her.

“Ruby, what on earth are you doing?” Weiss squeaked as she entered the hall. Yang watched the sequence of events with keen interest. She guessed that Weiss was all about appearances and Ruby was probably doing something very against what would be considered etiquette.

Well, Ruby and etiquette had never really meshed.

Weiss and Pyrrha looked at each other for the first time and if Yang hadn’t already known that Weiss was into Pyrrha, the way her cheeks flared pink, the way her fists clenched till her knuckles were white, the way her eyes darted everywhere but at Pyrrha and the way she shifted uncomfortably on the spot would have been a dead giveaway.

Pyrrha had her small smile and her eyes were trained on Weiss’ every move.

Yang arched a brow. _Well, well, well._

She saw Blake materialise next to Weiss and saw she was about to intervene so she beat her to it by walking over and wrapping her arms around Blake’s waist and walking them to the living room. Yang felt warm all over as her body pressed up against Blake’s. She knew that Blake could easily have pushed her away and she wasn’t holding her very tightly. The fact that she didn’t made those butterflies she’d mentioned earlier flutter like crazy.

Yang stopped at a wall and bracketed Blake with her arms.

“Most people at least try better flirting techniques before putting their hands on me,” Blake said, but her tone was bemused.

Yang grinned and glanced back at the foyer where Ruby was still hanging off Pyrrha like a silent ragdoll and Weiss and Pyrrha were being adorable flustering puppies. “Truthfully, I usually employ more of the wooing before getting this handsy but I don’t think we need to worry about those two,” Yang said softly.

Blake peered around the corner, but also didn’t moved from Yang’s space. “Hmmm,” she hummed. “You think she’s genuine?”

“Who, Pyrrha?” Yang asked, focussing her attention back on Blake. Oh, they were very close. “Yeah, I know Pyrrha better than anyone. She was looking at Weiss the way she used to look at me.”

Blake’s jaw muscles started working and before she could stop herself, Yang lifted a hand and traced Blake’s perfect jawline.

“One thing you’ll learn very quickly about me, Blake Belladonna, is that I have singular focuses. I see something and I focus on that something. When I have a project I need to finish, I don’t do other projects. When I have a test, I dedicate time where that’s all I focus on. I’m a very dedicated person so rest assured that when I focus on you, no one else enters my head.”

Blake held her gaze. “Maybe you shouldn’t put your eggs in one basket.”

“I like having my eggs in one basket,” Yang replied immediately.

“What if some of those eggs are cracked or broken?”

“Then I take extra special care,” Yang said softly, feeling like they weren’t talking about eggs anymore. “Because every egg in that basket is worth taking care of, even if they have a cracked shell.”

Blake broke the gaze and moved out of Yang’s bracketed circle. Yang dropped her arms immediately and let her walk away. She watched Blake head up the stairs, not looking back.

Yang sighed. They were supposed to just be flirting but the more time Yang spent with Blake, the more she wanted the flirting to progress into something more. Blake was an enigma and she had walls, that much was clear. Yang wanted nothing more than to find a way around those walls and hopefully show Blake that she was worth the risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ace_hlnwst on socials!


	5. Chapter 5

Yang was singing horribly off-key as she prepared dinner that evening. She was by herself in the kitchen for a change since they were eating in the dining room because, as Weiss put it, _guests get special treatment, which means we use the dining room with the comfortable chairs and nice china._

Ruby had, predictably, gone into a full faux dramatic meltdown, asking Weiss why she didn’t get special treatment.

“ _I thought we were best friends, Weiss! I even came up with a ship name for us!”_

Yang chuckled at the memory. She knew that no one in the house took Ruby all that seriously, which was what she wanted, but they also allowed her to express herself in her unusual way and Yang would always appreciate Weiss and Blake for that – and Pyrrha, of course, but she’d known Ruby for years. Weiss and Blake were still relatively new friends.

Friends…

_The flirting is fun and all but I need to be careful. Blake may not want anything more._

Yang was being overly cautious, she knew. She had pretty great intuition and it told her that Blake was into her and not just because of her incredible flirting skills and exceptional gains – although they probably didn’t hurt. There was some kind of tether between them and even though they’d only known each other a few days, Yang had never felt anything quite like it.

But it was very clear that Blake was either protecting herself because she’d been hurt in the past or she was just one hell of a good actress. Yang really didn’t know her well enough to rule out anything but she really did hope that Blake wasn’t faking it. That would really suck.

_I’ll start off tame. We’ll see how it goes._

“ _Since you been gone, I can breathe for the first time,_ ” she sang loudly bopping her head and grabbing two stirring spoons to start playing the drums. She actually had played drums back at Signal Academy before sports and girls had taken over her life.

As Yang played the drums, she kept adding spices to her pasta sauce, checking the pasta itself to avoid overcooking. She hated chewy pasta.

“ _But since you been gone!_ ” Ruby sang, sliding into the kitchen in her socks.

Yang shook her head but smiled as she joined her sister in an impromptu rock out session, making sure her pasta and sauce were fine. It was easy to focus on Ruby and forget about things – Ruby had a magnetism about her – but Yang didn’t want to mess things up for Weiss and Pyrrha. She really was super psyched for them both. They would be good together and Yang knew for sure that there hadn’t been anyone in Pyrrha’s life since they’d broken things off three years before. Not seriously, anyway.

She had a suspicion that Weiss wanted serious and Pyrrha would fit that bill nicely.

“Ooooh, can I taste?” Ruby asked, jumping onto Yang’s back.

Having had over a decade of practice, Yang’s centre of gravity was sturdy and she didn’t waver as her sister-turned-monkey climbed all over her.

“Rubes, don’t climb to the front,” she warned. “Knowing you, you’ll kick the pot over or something.”

“Excuse you, I am an excellent monkey,” Ruby retorted, losing her grip on Yang’s shoulders at that very moment. Yang dropped the spoon she was holding and spun to grab Ruby before she met the tiled kitchen floor face first.

Ruby giggled as Yang righted her up.

“You know, one of these days, I’m not gonna be around to catch you,” Yang murmured, lightly scratching Ruby’s mismatched hair.

Ruby just grinned widely. “That’s crazy. Of course you will! You’d never leave me.”

Yang sighed and smiled sadly because she knew it was true. “You’re right, Rubes. I could never leave you.” She pulled her sister close and kissed her forehead.

“Can I still taste the sauce?”

* * *

Blake sat on the opposite side of the table to where Weiss and Pyrrha were chatting like they’d known each other for years. It made her smile – Weiss’ nervousness was long forgotten and Blake was happy for her. Pyrrha seemed like a nice enough girl and objectively, she was very pretty.

_Not like Yang pretty but-_

_Oh my God, stop it._

Blake shook her head slightly as though the physical act would rid her mind of thoughts like that. She couldn’t draw Yang in – she _wouldn’t_. Blake wished that Yang’s impassioned words from that morning hadn’t resonated in her head the whole day. She wished that her heart hadn’t done a little flutter – okay a big flutter – when Yang had pushed her against the wall.

_It’s a bad idea._

Blake knew she just had to keep repeating that mantra to herself until her head and heart understood that nothing beyond some fun flirting was going to happen.

Watching Yang cook would be better than sitting with her thoughts so Blake stood up and exited the dining room, walking in on what appeared to be a tender moment between sisters. Yang was lightly ruffling Ruby’s hair.

“That’s crazy. Of course you will! You’d never leave me.”

Blake bit her lip, the memory of similar words being shouted at her trying to push their way to the forefront of her mind. She shoved them back into the recesses of her brain where they belonged.

“You’re right, Rubes. I could never leave you.”

The tone of Yang’s voice almost made Blake want to hug her – which would just be a terrible idea. Flirting was one thing. Intimate things like hugs would just spell disaster.

Yang sounded so sad though…

Blake wondered, not for the first time, what had drawn Yang and Ruby away from Patch. They clearly loved the little island; Blake had heard a number of stories during the course of the day from Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha about growing up on Patch. She had also noted how they’d spoken about Pyrrha’s family, but not a word was said about Yang and Ruby’s parents. That told Blake that Pyrrha clearly knew that part of Yang.

_Well, duh. Why wouldn’t she? They were together for three years._

Blake shook her head again. Why did her mind constantly do that? Nothing was going to happen with Yang so any previous relationships had no bearing on what she thought or said.

_Uh huh._

It didn’t!

_Sure._

Blake had incredible willpower. No matter how much she wanted something, she knew how to train her mind and body to ignore those impulses. It was what made her a very handy spy. Sure, that was a side gig and she really only used those skills when absolutely necessary – like when she’d caught wind of Jacques Schnee’s militant dealings with the Atlas Military Police.

“Hey, Blake!” Yang called, waving her over.

Blake noted that any sign of melancholy was gone and the usual charming grin was back in place. Yang did wear it well.

_Ugh…_

“What’s for dinner?” Blake asked, sliding onto a kitchen stool.

“Chicken penne with a parmesan cream sauce,” Yang announced. “Well, hopefully we’ll have a sauce if Ruby doesn’t eat it all before I can put it in the pasta.”

“But it’s _so_ good!” Ruby groaned, jumping onto Yang’s back.

Blake blinked in surprise but Yang remained unmoved. She continued doing what she was as though there wasn’t a human attached to her.

“I’ll wait until dinner,” Blake replied with a smile.

Yang met her eyes and sent her a wink.

“So Blake, what do you like to do for fun?” Yang asked.

“Ooooh, yes. Fun! That’s a thing everybody does!” Ruby squealed and jumped off Yang’s back. Before Blake could blink, she was next to her.

_How is she that fast?_

“Well, I love reading,” Blake started.

Ruby gasped. “Have you read _Ninjas of Love_?”

Blake felt her cheeks warm. “Uh, I may have.”

Yang chuckled. “Never pegged you for the smutty mom romance type.”

“Wait, Ruby, you haven’t read that have you?” Blake asked in alarm. She didn’t think that Ruby would have been interested in something like that. Also, it was _very_ risqué and Ruby was so innocent.

“Uh _no_. Everyone at beacon is reading it, though. It’s filth.” She leaned closer to Blake and hissed, “It’s filth, Blake!”

Blake tried not to smile but hearing Ruby with her adorably high-pitched voice admonishing her for reading what was admittedly smut – well-written smut, though – was super cute and funny.

“You’re absolutely right, Ruby,” Blake said, maintaining a blank face. “I really should consider my choices in literature more carefully.”

“Yes, you should.” Ruby sat back down. “Do you play video games?”

“Not really,” Blake replied. “I didn’t have a lot of downtime when I was a kid. Books are easy to carry around, you know?”

“I love video games,” Ruby said with a heavy sigh.

“I can imagine you must. Don’t you ever get bored with them, though?”

“Constantly,” Yang piped up, her fond smile directed at Ruby. “But they offer inspiration for her designs.”

“Oh, yes. You’re in engineering,” Blake recalled.

“For now,” Yang added.

“Yang, stop,” Ruby muttered and Blake was honestly surprised. She didn’t think that it was possible for Ruby Rose to be shy.

“Hey, it is part and parcel of big sisterhood that I brag about how much of a genius you are,” Yang continued. “Blake, seriously, you should see the stuff that Ruby comes up with. Her professors can’t keep up with her ideas and it’s not just the designs. She knows exactly which materials she’s going to use and how they work with one another, if there are going to be any compatibility issues and she’s created this programme – yes, _created_ – where she can show her professors exactly how something is going to be made in 3D holographics.”

“Wow,” Blake said, truly impressed.

“Ruby Rose is gonna change the world,” Yang said proudly.

“I just wanna help, if I can,” Ruby said quietly. “I want to make the world safer.”

Blake nodded. “That’s truly admirable. I can totally relate to that.”

“Are you a superhero?” Ruby asked, her usual demeanour coming back full force.

“Uh, no,” Blake replied, not entirely sure if Ruby was being serious or not.

“What kind of weapon would Blake have, Rubes?” Yang asked as she strained a huge pot of noodles, popping a few select ones in her mouth. Blake couldn’t stop the smile from creeping on to her face as Yang nodded her head satisfactorily.

_She’s so cute._

_Ugh. NO. Stop it._

Ruby disappeared from her stool and Blake glanced around, truly unsure of where she had disappeared to. Within a flash, she was back with a massive tablet in hand. She had a smart pen and started sketching something on the screen. Blake was very curious but forced herself not to peek.

“Ruby has this insane talent of picking out what someone’s weapon would be if we ever became overrun by zombies or some crazy shit. But it’s like, scarily accurate. And then she designs them.”

“What would your weapon be?” Blake asked Yang.

Yang smirked and before she could even answer, Blake’s phone chimed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a file from Ruby.

_I didn’t even give her my number._

Blake opened it and saw two gauntlet-styled shotguns that attached to the forearms. She looked up at Yang and then down at the picture. She remembered those arms against her body earlier that day and bit her lip absentmindedly.

“While the primary ammunition would be shotgun shells, they would be varying in range and velocity. Shotguns tend to be all power and not much accuracy so Yang’s gauntlets would have a more focussed target,” Ruby stated, her eyes not leaving her tablet. “They would allow her to propel herself forwards and upwards provided she trains herself to land safely.”

Yang scoffed. “You know that I would.”

Blake smiled again. She was starting to see why Yang was so proud of Ruby. She really was incredible. “I could see you with these,” she remarked to Yang.

“I’d be so badass,” Yang said with a big grin. She put down the pot she was holding and held up her arms, clearly mimicking the gauntlets. “I’d be like _pew pew pew pew, pow pow pow._ And then I’d do some fancy footwork if the baddies get too close and then I’d _boom_ jump right over them and bonk them on the heads.”

Blake laughed loudly. “Bonk them on the heads?”

“Well, yeah. What else would I do?” Yang replied, her eyes darting from Blake to Ruby.

Blake immediately realised. Yang didn’t like talking about killing around Ruby. She could understand that. Regrettably, she’d been around it for a lot of her life.

_Nope, not thinking about that either._

“Bonking is…very effective,” Blake said eventually, sending Yang a smirk.

Yang grinned, her tongue sticking out between her teeth and she winked back.

_Oh no…_

“What about you, Ruby?” Blake asked, even though Ruby was still super focussed on whatever she was designing. She was gaining an insight into how Ruby’s brain worked – more so how _quickly_ it worked. She understood more why Yang needed to keep her busy.

“I designed a transformable scythe that doubles as a highly customisable sniper rifle,” Ruby replied, her tongue sticking out as she concentrated. “It folds up into something I can wear on my back.”

“That’s seriously cool,” Blake said, impressed.

“She’d be a total beast with it too,” Yang said and Blake could hear the pride shining in her voice.

“I don’t have the strength you do,” Ruby mumbled.

“Strength isn’t always a good thing,” Yang pointed out.

“Your strength is always a good thing,” Ruby replied, clearly not realising the impact her words had on her sister.

Blake watched as Yang froze, her mouth dropping open slightly. The grip she had on the pans in her hands was white knuckled. She swallowed visibly and put the pans down to brush her fingers under her eyes,

_Oh, wow._

“Speed is also really impressive,” Blake said, giving Yang a chance to compose herself.

Ruby looked at her for the first time since starting her design. “You think so?”

Blake was proud that she’d pegged Ruby’s strong point. “Absolutely. I mean, you’re probably the fastest person I know. You disappear without me even knowing you’ve got up from your chair. I’ve seen some impressive skills in my time, Ruby, and you definitely have a number of very impressive skills.”

Ruby’s cheeks tinted pink and her eyes shot back to her screen. Blake just smiled and glanced at Yang, hoping that what she’d said was okay.

And… _hoo boy._ The way Yang was looking at her was dangerous. Very, very dangerous.

“Blake, come taste my sauce?” Yang asked quietly, her piercing gaze covering Blake.

She tried not to shiver at being so completely seen by someone.

_Don’t do it, Belladonna. Don’t be an idiot. You’re playing with fire._

_But God, it may not be such a bad thing to be burned by her._

Blake found her feet totally disobeying her brain’s commands and carried her around the island to where Yang was waiting with a soft smile on her face. Blake stopped, probably far too close to Yang for any normal sauce tasting but Yang didn’t move away. In fact, she leaned closer.

“Thank you for saying that,” she whispered, and the air from her mouth brushed Blake’s cheek. “She doesn’t believe that she’s all that special, even though she’s been brilliant from a really young age. It was one of the main reasons we came to Beacon. I wanted her to have all the opportunities at her disposal to explore her potential.”

“I don’t think Beacon will be able to do that entirely,” Blake whispered back. “She’s incredible, Yang. I agree with you – she’s going to change the world.”

Blake turned to look at Ruby, who seemed to be totally immersed in her work but Blake didn’t doubt that she probably could hear them. She looked back to Yang who was giving her that super intense look that made Blake feel like she could see into her soul.

“You’re making it really hard not to fall for you, Blake,” Yang murmured, her hand finding Blake’s and toying with her fingers.

Blake swallowed and looked down. “You shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you deserve better,” Blake replied.

_Why is this happening? Hello? Brain? Have you gone on furlough? We can’t be having this conversation._

“Blake, if you think that you’re not good enough for me, that’s completely false. If anything, I’m batting way above my average here.”

_Nope. Nuh uh. None of that._

“Blake, look at me.”

_Fuck._

She tried to fight it but her usual strategies were just _not_ working. What the hell was going on?

She felt warm fingers tip her chin up and those eyes that seemed to crack the fortifications around her heart captured her.

“We could be great,” Yang whispered. “I feel like… I dunno. Without sounding creepy, I hope, I feel like we were meant to meet. I can’t shake this connection I feel to you and if I’m crazy, if this is all in my head then please tell me and I’ll back off.”

_There you go. She’s giving you the out. Take it!_

“I…”

_Blake, what are you doing? TAKE IT._

“I…”

Yang took her other hand and squeezed it. Blake swallowed. She didn’t know what to do. She understood clearly what her head was telling her to do but for some reason, she just couldn’t move away.

They were really close together, their fronts almost touching. Yang’s forehead rested against Blake’s and she breathed out slowly.

_Why does it feel like I’m having heart palpitations? Oh, my._

_Oh….we’re really close. Holy shit._

Yang closed the gap between them, capturing Blake’s top lip between her own. Blake kissed her back immediately, her eyes fluttering closed. Yang dropped one of Blake’s hands and wrapped that arm around her waist, pulling them closer. Blake’s now free hand went to the back of Yang’s neck to keep them connected. Their lips didn’t really move against one another but it was still best kiss that Blake had ever had.

“Yang, when-oh.”

Blake and Yang broke apart but Yang never let go of her hand.

“Uh, dinner’s almost done, Weiss,” Yang said, her voice coming out croaky.

Blake closed her eyes and didn’t dare look at Weiss. She just knew there was going to be a big, fat _I told you so_ on her face. Yang squeezed her hand and she opened her eyes. Yang’s head was tilted to the side and her brow was furrowed in a clear question.

_Are you okay?_

Blake nodded and squeezed her hand back before letting it drop. She took a breath and turned to head back to her seat. As predicted, Weiss had one brow raised.

“Just fun, hmmm?” she murmured as Blake walked past.

_God, I am so screwed._


	6. Chapter 6

Yang dried the dishes after dinner and handed them to Ruby who zoomed around the kitchen putting them in their correct places. She was on autopilot. After Weiss and Pyrrha had walked in and interrupted her _mind-blowing_ kiss with Blake, things had been awkward for a bit. Pyrrha had seen how the kiss had affected Yang and smoothly carried the dinner table conversation, engaging Weiss and Ruby easily to make up for Yang and Blake not saying anything. Yang wanted so badly to talk to Blake but she’d disappeared to her room almost immediately after dinner saying she didn’t feel well.

Yang knew that Blake had walls and she knew that she’d bashed through them and Blake was scared. They’d known each other for mere days but their connection was something pretty special. It had taken Yang by surprise and for someone like Blake, who clearly played things close to the chest, it was probably freaking her out way more.

_I need to talk to her. If she wants me to back off, I will. But she needs to look me in the eyes and tell me she doesn’t want this because I can’t dance around something this big._

Yang sighed and handed Ruby the last pot and Ruby had already packed it away before Yang could drop the towel. She had to grin.

“How are you so fast?” she murmured, ruffling Ruby’s hair.

Ruby grinned and hopped from one foot to the other. “It’s cos my mind works so fast. My body has to keep up with it.”

Yang chuckled. “You sure it’s not the other way round?”

Ruby’s eyes went wide and Yang just knew her brilliant brain was working out the probabilities.

_I wonder if she ever finished Blake’s weapon._

It didn’t matter, anyway. No doubt Ruby would send it to Blake as soon as she had, if she hadn’t already.

“Rubes, I’m gonna call it a night. Workout at eight am tomorrow morning, okay? My equipment should have arrived by then. If it hasn’t, I’m sure we can convince Pyrrha to let us go over and use her stuff.”

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. For all her protests about physical exercise, she and Yang had great fun working out together. Yang walked out of the kitchen with her arm around Ruby’s shoulders and flicked the light off. Weiss and Pyrrha were sitting in the living room, still talking and Yang marvelled at how many hours they’d spent talking. She was sure they had to know each other’s life stories by now.

“Oh, I could do Weiss’ weapon,” Ruby said excitedly, veering into the living room.

“Nope.” Yang kept a strong hold on her. “Leave them be.”

“Oh, are they on a date?” Ruby whispered loudly.

Yang lifted a shoulder. “If they aren’t now, they will be soon.” To Weiss and Pyrrha, she called out a farewell and they waved back with friendly smiles.

 _I’m happy for them_ , Yang thought as she walked upstairs with Ruby.

She turned left to go to her room and glanced to right end of the landing where Weiss’ door was open and Blake’s was closed. Yang could see the light underneath the door so she was awake. Determined, Yang walked into her own bedroom and got into her pyjamas. She brushed her teeth in her shared bathroom with Ruby and bid her goodnight. Ruby gave her an extra long hug and Yang suspected she probably knew what Yang was going to do and was trying to wish her luck.

_Hopefully I won’t need luck. We’re both adults. We can have an adult conversation._

Yang took a deep breath and walked along the landing. She stopped outside Blake’s door and knocked twice. A few seconds passed before Blake’s door cracked open and Blake’s captivating eyes met Yang’s. She was guarded, that much was clear.

Yang gave her a small smile. “Hey,” she said softly. “Can we talk?”

Blake nodded slowly, dropping her eyes and stepping back to allow Yang in.

“Thank you,” Yang said, walking inside. Normally she would have taken the time to look around Blake’s room to try and figure out a bit more about her but it wasn’t the time. She was there for a purpose and for all their flirting, Yang was done messing around.

She couldn’t gloss over the best kiss she’d ever had.

“I’m sorry if I caught you off guard earlier,” Yang began, flexing her fingers at her side. She was nervous; she wanted to get her words right.

Blake scoffed lightly. “Everything about you catches me off guard,” she said quietly.

 _Oh?_ Yang was surprised at the immediate honesty. _I can definitely work with this._

She stepped a little closer to Blake. “In a good way or a bad way?”

“In a way that makes me feel like I have no control and that’s…that… I don’t like not having control,” Blake said. She almost sounded defeated.

“Hey.” Yang grabbed her hands which made Blake look at her. “I just want to know where you stand and whatever you decide to do from here on, I’ll respect it.”

Blake frowned. “But what if what I want is for us to forget that kiss ever happened?”

_Ouch._

“Um, it’ll hurt but I’ll stay away from you,” Yang replied. She took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m just gonna lay my cards out so that you know where I stand. Blake, I think you’re amazing. Yes, we’ve only known each other for like, four days or whatever, but I honestly only needed one second. The flirting is fun and all but I always knew that you were more than that. Physically, you’re totally my type and I’m super attracted to you. But there’s something else, something beneath the surface and I can’t really explain it but I’m going to try. I feel drawn to you. I feel happier when you’re in the same room as me, even if we’re not interacting. I can tell that you’re guarding yourself against something – whether it’s getting close to people in general or just me, I don’t know. But I do know that I really, really like you, Blake. And I would like to see how this…us could develop.”

* * *

Blake’s mouth dropped open as Yang wrapped up her impassioned speech and she had to really hold herself back from kissing her again.

“I…”

_Use your words, Belladonna._

“I…”

_This is just like the kitchen. Why can’t I speak around her?_

Yang just held her hands and looked at her, eyes filled with infinite patience.

“I didn’t come here looking for anything like this, Yang,” she eventually managed to get out. “In fact, this was the last thing on my mind and I knew as soon as I saw you that you were going to create problems for me.”

Yang bit her lip and her gaze dropped. She let go of Blake’s hands and stepped back.

_Shit, that sounded wrong._

“No, what I mean is that you’re totally my type too and I…” Blake moved to her bed and sat down, wringing her hands.

_I can’t tell her that._

_Why not?_

_Because it’s in my past._

_But it’s affecting your present and possibly your future. You haven’t dealt with it._

Yang knelt down in front of her, her hands resting on her own thighs. She just looked at Blake, waiting for her to continue.

“My last relationship… _shit_. Okay, my last relationship was not a good one. He was a bad guy and I didn’t realise it until I was in too deep. Even though people warned me about him, I chose not to listen because I believed that he was a good person. He was always kind and loving to me…until he wasn’t. When I saw who he really was for the first time, I was so mad at myself. I was scared of what he could do but I’ve always prided myself on being an excellent judge of character but he’d fooled me. For two years, he’d fooled me into thinking he was one person when everyone else saw him for who he was.” Blake rubbed her temples. “It took a lot of careful planning to leave him. He was paranoid and clingy and no doubt could feel me slipping away so he resorted to physically restraining me.”

She saw Yang’s fists clench, her knuckles turning white and she slipped off the bed to kneel in front of her. Blake put her hand over Yang’s and she immediately relaxed her fists.

“I’m sorry,” Yang said. “It’s not my place to react like that.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because nothing can change what happened in your past, Blake. You can learn from it, sure, but we can’t change anything that has already happened so me getting mad about something that happened to you in the past when I didn’t even know you isn’t my place.”

_That’s an interesting way to look at it._

“Are you okay, Blake? Do we need to be worried that this guy is gonna come after you?” Yang asked seriously.

“I’m okay, yeah. And he won’t be following me anywhere. He’s in jail where he belongs.”

“Okay, good,” Yang breathed out, nodding. “I would never presume that you can’t take care of yourself but if something was going on and you needed my help, just know that I’d be there for you.”

_Oh, fuck. That was probably the best and worst thing for her to say._

“Uh, thanks, Yang. That…um…that means a lot.”

Yang shot her a small smile – the smile that made Blake’s knees weak because it was all soft and caring and it gave Blake a heavy case of the feels.

“Um, I also don’t expect you to tell me your whole life story or anything, Blake. If you want to do this with me, that’s the kind of thing we can find out about one another. You know, with dates and stuff.”

Blake felt her cheeks warm. “I can’t even remember the last time I went on a date,” she murmured.

“Oh, how about this, then? You know where I stand so I won’t ask you for an answer now. I get the feeling you’re a thinker so you’ll need some time to think things over, right?”

Blake nodded, not really surprised that Yang had figured that out about her.

“Okay, so. Blake Belladonna, would you like go on a date with me tomorrow night?”

“Um…we can’t go anywhere, though?” Blake asked in confusion.

“Don’t you worry your pretty head about that,” Yang replied, her confident smile back in full force. “Is that a yes?”

Blake bit her lip and nodded slowly.

“Yes!” Yang did a fist bump and whether Blake was meant to have seen it or not, it made her heart beat a little faster at how adorable and excited Yang was.

“Okay, I’ll pick you up at seven sharp. That okay?” Yang asked, standing up easily.

“Yeah, that’s okay.” Blake stood up too. They were really close again.

“Um, okay, well…good night, Blake,” Yang murmured, squeezing her hands and dropping them.

Blake had a sudden urge and while the rational part of her brain was yelling at her not to do it, Blake stepped right up to Yang and put a hand on her shoulder.

“No pressure, Blake. We don’t have to do anything,” Yang whispered, the air brushing Blake’s lips.

She closed her eyes at the overwhelming sensations flying through her body. Yang seemed to set her on fire in the best way.

“Kiss me, Yang,” she whispered back.

Yang didn’t hesitate and joined their lips for the second time. Her hands went around Blake’s back, pressing them even closer together.

This time, their lips didn’t remain idle in a soft kiss. Blake sucked on Yang’s bottom lip and let her tongue brush across it.

“Holy shit, Blake,” Yang moaned, breaking away slightly. “I want this, I do.” She was breathing heavily after just the one kiss and Blake had to admit that her body was tingling all over. “If we’re going to do anything more than kiss, I need to know that this isn’t just fun for you. Because I couldn’t give myself to you if it wasn’t deeper. It will kill me to walk away if we take this step.”

Blake took a moment. She’d agreed to a date with Yang and she was genuinely excited about it. But Yang had a point – if they did carry on, it was going to end up with a night of undoubtedly amazing sex but what would happen afterwards? Would she be able to see Yang the same way or will she treat it like her last few one-night stands?

“Yang, you could never be a one-time thing for me,” Blake said softly. She stepped out of her arms. “But you do make a good point. I think that until I’ve worked out for myself what it is I want, I can’t risk hurting you.”

“Thank you, Blake,” Yang said, smiling softly. “I really appreciate your honesty.”

Blake bit her lip and nodded, wishing that she could figure her shit out because Yang looked _delectable_. But the fact that she was willing to step away told her a lot about what she was feeling. She needed to think.

“Good night, Blake,” Yang murmured, walking backwards to the door.

“Good night, Yang,” Blake replied just as softly, willing her feet to stay planted. She wasn’t going to mess things up.

* * *

Weiss shut the door behind Pyrrha and leaned against it with what she was certain was a goofy smile.

“Hi, Weiss!” Ruby greeted, hopping down the stairs.

She was in her pyjamas and Weiss couldn’t help but smile at the silly behaviour. Ruby’s antics honestly made each day brighter.

“Good evening, Ruby. I thought I saw you and Yang head to bed a while ago?” she said.

“Oh, we did but I’m thirsty. I’m gonna get some water.”

“Okay.” Weiss led the way to the kitchen, flicking on the light. She got a flash of what she’d walked in on earlier and frowned. Blake looked terribly guilty and confused and had been quiet all during dinner. Her quick departure as soon as the meal was down was very telling.

_I think I’ll have a word with her. She probably needs someone to talk to._

Ruby slid past Weiss on her socks, nearly losing her balance entirely and Weiss felt her heartrate accelerate. Ruby giggled as she righted herself and opened the refrigerator.

“Do you want something to drink, Weiss?” she asked.

“Oh, I’ll have a sparkling water, please. The grapefruit flavour.”

Ruby made a face and Weiss smiled.

“You don’t like sparkling water, Ruby?”

“I’ve never had it. Water isn’t meant to have bubbles.” Ruby handed her a bottle.

“You can’t really say you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it then, can you?” Weiss reasoned.

That got Ruby’s mind working. “You’re right!”

Weiss opened the bottle and handed it to her. Ruby took it, sniffed it and then sipped it. Her eyes went wide. “Ooooh, the bubbles make the water exciting!” she said with a grin.

Weiss let out a laugh. It was such a Ruby thing to say.

“Okay, you keep that one, then. I’ll get a fresh one.”

Ruby held the bottle to her lips with both hands and drained it within seconds. Weiss was frozen in shock.

“Ruby, there’s sugar in that,” she warned, far too late.

“Oh.” Ruby looked at the empty bottle. She grinned sheepishly. “Whoops?”

Weiss just shook her head. “Come on, let’s go and sit in the living room. Take some normal water with you.”

Ruby did that and slid on the floor past Weiss.

“Ruby, how many times have you been to the hospital after a fall?” Weiss asked as they entered the living room.

Ruby jumped onto the sofa. “Uh…” she started counting on her fingers and duplicated them enough times to make Weiss’ head spin.

“Okay, I gather a lot.”

“Yep! That was when I was really young and Yang wasn’t big yet. When she got to high school and started doing sports, she got super strong and then she always stopped me before things got bad. I haven’t broken a bone in four years!” Ruby sounded very proud of that fact.

Weiss chuckled. “It’s good that your big sister is around to save you, then?”

Ruby grinned and nodded fervently. “Oh, yeah. Yang’s always gonna be around. I never have to worry about being alone again cos she won’t leave me.”

Weiss cocked her head at Ruby’s words but didn’t think it appropriate to delve into them. She felt that Ruby would explain if she asked but she didn’t want to upset Yang by asking Ruby something that she would rather keep within her family. Weiss could respect that.

“It must be really nice to be so close to your sister,” Weiss murmured, twisting the cap off her water and taking a sip.

“Are you not close with your sister, Weiss?” Ruby asked.

“Uh, no. She’s in Atlas, working with the military. I don’t really see her much anymore.”

“Aw, that sucks. I’m sorry. You should call her. We should call her!”

“Ruby, it’s almost midnight. She’ll have been asleep long ago.” Weiss pulled out her phone from her pocket and checked it but, as expected, no messages from her family.

“We’ll call her tomorrow,” Ruby said determinedly. “You should always have a close relationship with your sister.”

“That’s not always the case, unfortunately, Ruby.”

“Why aren’t you close?”

That gave Weiss pause. She wished she knew. “I’m not entirely sure, Ruby. We grew apart, I suppose. There are a number of years in age difference between us and I think that when Winter finished high school and started university and then her career, her focus shifted. I can’t blame her for starting her life.”

Ruby frowned and Weiss thought the expression looked rather odd on her face, like it didn’t belong there. “Work and school should never get in the way of family, especially sisters. Yang and I are very busy but we always make time for one another. It’s important. It’s the most important thing.”

“I do miss her terribly,” Weiss confessed quietly. “I don’t even think she’s realised that I didn’t go to Atlas Academy. And I haven’t heard from anyone in my family since the quarantine started.”

“We’ll definitely try calling them tomorrow,” Ruby stated. She jumped onto the couch that Weiss was sitting on. “And if they don’t want to make the effort then we’ll just be your new family.”

“It’s that easy, huh?” Weiss asked, trying to laugh it off. The idea sounded very enticing to her, though. A family of her choosing? People that she knew would have her back, would support and encourage her regardless of the effect it may have on the Schnee family name?

“You don’t have to like the family you’re born into, Weiss,” Ruby said, uncharacteristically serious. “You can choose your family.”

For so long, Weiss had never felt like she’d had a choice. Everything had been decided for her. One of the first things she’d done for herself was come out to her family, and the second was go to Beacon. Those two things were what she was most proud of in her life and she was surrounded by people who appreciated that about her.

“I’ll call Winter tomorrow,” Weiss said with a firm nod.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's all fluff. I don't even know who I am anymore...

The next morning, Blake awoke feeling odd. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She touched her head, which was a little warm but that was nothing unusual after just waking up. She glanced down at her tank top which wasn’t coated in sweat so she hadn’t had a nightmare.

She tapped her fingers against her lips in contemplation.

_Oh._

She was smiling. She’d woken up with a smile on her face. That was why she felt weird – that had never happened to her before. Once realising what had her feeling off kilter, Blake fell back against her pillows and giggled quietly. After Yang had eventually left her room, they’d texted into the late hours of the morning and Blake had to give Yang credit – she as smoother than butter. In text, Blake could easily rebuke the charm with some of her own flirting but she wasn’t so sure how effective she was going to be in person.

Yang just totally disarmed her – in the best way possible. Blake craved control but Yang was the first person that she felt would catch her if she fell too far.

And boy, after acknowledging that they had long passed ‘just fun’, Blake was falling hard and fast.

Her phone vibrated on her nightstand and Blake rolled onto her side to check it. She had a missed call from her mom – unsurprising – and a new text from Yang.

_Rise and shine, pretty lady. I expect minimum effort for our date tonight. In fact, if you decide to not wear anything, I think I’d be okay with that._

Blake chuckled out loud and felt her cheeks heat up. Her fingers quickly typed back. _If I don’t wear clothes, then you can’t either and that means our date won’t progress beyond one of our bedrooms. You said you wanted to do things right. I have expectations now, Xiao Long. You’d best deliver._

Satisfied with her response, Blake pushed back the covers and stood up to stretch. Her phone vibrated once more and she smirked as she picked it up.

_It’s very tempting to finish my workout early and come upstairs to ravage you all day long. But…I am excited for our date. So I’ll just have to figure out some other way to…relieve myself._

Blake’s mouth dropped open. Flirting texts were one thing but sexting was quite another. Blake was _so_ attracted to Yang that any alluding to pleasure got her very hot and bothered. She’d gone to bed the previous night not relieving her tension because she was adamant to wait until she was ready for Yang. Somewhere in her brain, it made rational sense that masturbation would just _never_ compare to being with Yang so why settle for something she knew was going to be inferior?

Blake bit her lip and considered her words before she sent the text. _I’m saving all my tension for you._

She placed her phone on her nightstand and quickly undressed, grabbing the towel that was hanging on the back of her door and wrapping it around herself. She opened her bedroom door and glanced down the hallway. If Yang really was working out, chances are she’d be doing it out in the back yard and that meant she was safe from seeing her just yet. Blake opened the door next to hers and closed it behind her immediately. She grinned sheepishly at Weiss’ arched eyebrow.

“Hiding from someone, are we?” she asked.

“Uh, well. Yes,” Blake replied.

Weiss squirted some moisturiser from a tube onto her hands and began to rub it on her face. “Do we need to talk about anything?” she asked quietly.

Blake felt relieved. She was so sure that she was going to get a big, fat _I told you so_.

“Yang came to my room last night,” Blake began, resting her butt against the sink. “Nothing happened!” she added quickly, seeing Weiss’ eyebrow arch again. “Well, I mean, we kissed but we both stopped before it went further than that.”

“Did you want it to go further?” Weiss asked.

“God, yes,” Blake breathed out before her brain could stop her mouth.

Weiss sighed. “This sounds remarkably different from the conversation we had two nights ago.”

Blake smiled sheepishly. “I know. Last night when we were in the kitchen, Yang and I just had a moment and…that’s what you saw.”

“Was it _just_ a moment?” Weiss asked.

Blake knew she was humouring her and probably already knew the answer. “I know I said that we were just having fun and that’s what I wanted it to be but…Weiss, she just flicks away my defences like they’re nothing.”

Weiss turned to face her fully. “Blake, this sounds an awful lot like there are real feelings involved here.”

“There are, for Yang. She admitted as much.”

“And what about you?”

Blake swallowed. “I, uh… Well, we have a date tonight. And we kissed and…”

“Blake,” Weiss said, her tone wary.

“She wants to see what could develop between us and I think that maybe I do too.”

“You think?” Weiss asked, frowning. “Yang is absolutely smitten. A blind person could see that.” Weiss paused and rested a hand on Blake’s shoulder. “I don’t want to see either of you hurt so for both your sakes, please be sure and be honest.”

Blake nodded. “I will.” She grinned. “And what about you and Pyrrha? I think you may have set the record for longest date. What was it, thirteen hours?”

Weiss blushed fiercely and cleared her throat, turning back to the mirror. “That was not a date.”

Blake leaned closer. “That was one hundred percent a date.” She walked to the shower. “And suffice to say, it was pretty clear that Pyrrha’s as into you as you’re into her.” She dropped her towel and walked into the shower, smiling. As the water ran warm to hot, she wondered if anyone else was having as interesting a quarantine as she was.

* * *

Weiss could barely concentrate on getting dressed as Blake’s words echoed in her mind. She had certainly been very pleasantly surprised at how long Pyrrha had stayed the previous day. They’d spent so much time learning things about one another and Weiss honestly felt like she’d know Pyrrha for years. She loved how soft-spoken Pyrrha was, how fondly she spoke of her family and her time in school with Yang and Ruby – it appeared that Yang and Ruby had been an inseparable pair for quite some time and it briefly reminded Weiss of her conversation with Ruby the previous night.

_I never have to worry about being alone again cos she won’t leave me._

Weiss had noticed that Pyrrha never mentioned Yang and Ruby’s family in all the stories they had told of their lives on Patch. They hadn’t even slipped up, not once. Weiss was curious, certainly, but she was mostly worried – what had happened to Yang and Ruby’s family that made them leave a place they clearly loved? Were they okay? Were they in danger?

Weiss sighed audibly and buttoned her capri shorts before pulling a loose tank top over her bra. It was unseasonably warm for late March but she wasn’t complaining. She’d hated the cold in Atlas.

Atlas…

That reminded her of another part of her conversation with Ruby from the night before.

Weiss was definitely going to call Winter later that morning, perhaps during lunch. One thing Weiss could definitely rely on when it came to Winter was her schedule. It ran like clockwork.

Weiss hummed softly as she tied her long hair up into a high pony and headed downstairs.

“Ten more, Ruby! Let’s go!” Yang’s voice came from outside.

Curious, Weiss walked outside and watched as Ruby did what she recalled from high school to be suicide sprints. Only…she barely looked out of breath. In fact, Ruby was smiling. And she was _moving_. Weiss had never seen anyone move as fast as Ruby was. She knew that Ruby had a turn of speed given how quickly she moved around the house but nothing like what she was seeing.

“Faster!” Yang shouted from her spot at the last line. She was clearly timing Ruby on her phone her phone and the proud smirk on her face told Weiss that Ruby was doing very well.

“Last three sets, Rubes! You’re so close!” Yang encouraged.

Weiss didn’t think it was possible that Ruby went faster, but she did. She almost became a blur and she ran up and down Weiss’ expansive back yard.

 _Just as well I have enough space for her to run like that_ , Weiss thought in wonder.

“That’s it!” Yang punched the air in triumph as Ruby finished her last suicide run.

“Time?” Ruby asked, immediately hanging onto Yang’s arm.

“A whole five seconds off your personal best! You were amazing, Rubes!”

Ruby grinned widely. “Now you do your obstacle course!”

Yang nodded. “I’ll need to set it up. Gimme a few.”

Ruby saw Weiss watching them and sped over to her, a big smile on her face.

“You are remarkable, Ruby,” Weiss said, impressed. “I’ve never seen anyone run that fast.”

“Fastest runner on Patch!” Yang called, heaving two massive tyres across the lawn. Weiss’ mouth dropped open. Similar to Ruby’s speed, she’d known Yang was strong but those tyres weighed in excess of one hundred pounds _each_.

“She’s strong, huh?” Ruby said proudly.

“What do they put in the water on Patch?” Weiss wondered out loud. The only three people she’d met from the tiny island seemed to have extraordinary physical capabilities.

“All that sea air, Weiss,” Yang called out with a smirk. “Plus, we don’t really like vehicles. We run everywhere.”

Ruby nodded. “That’s how I got so fast. I had to run extra to keep up with Yang and Pyrrha when we were young.” She pointed her finger ahead and made a _nyooooom_ sound.

Weiss chuckled. “Good to know that I have a speedster and someone with Herculean strength staying in my house.”

“What’s your special power, Weiss?” Ruby asked.

Weiss blinked. “I don’t have one, Ruby.” She was about to add that special powers weren’t real but saw Yang’s sharp look. It wasn’t her place to disagree with Yang’s parenting so she kept her mouth shut.

There was a sharp intake of breath next to Weiss and she turned to see Blake, hair still damp from her shower, her lips pressed together and her eyes taking in five-foot-eight of muscle.

_Objectively speaking, of course._

Yang had a very toned physique – the frequency with which she wore sleeveless tops meant that anyone could see she had muscles. Weiss could appreciate a muscular woman; that was partly what had attracted her to Pyrrha.

Being a pentathlete meant that Pyrrha’s strength was more streamlined. Yang was strong physically but Weiss suspected that Pyrrha would outlast her in an endurance challenge.

“Looking good, Belladonna!” Yang called from the other end of the yard. “Come to be my personal cheerleader?”

“Fuck me,” Blake whispered.

Weiss snorted. “You’re so subtle, Blake.”

“Well, _look at her_. She’s sex on legs.”

“Um…”

“Oh, wait!” Blake lifted her eyebrows. “No! Don’t look at her!”

Weiss chuckled. “What’s gotten into you, Blake?”

“Not Yang,” Blake muttered.

“I can hear everything you say!” Weiss shrieked. “Can you stop?”

Blake looked at Weiss dead in the eye. “Weiss, we’re going on a date tonight. I can state with about ninety-six percent certainty that we will be going back to either my room or her room so I’m giving you plenty of notice to either find alternative sleeping arrangements or have some solid earplugs on hand.”

“Oh my God!” Weiss covered her ears. “Blake, get control of yourself! Just this morning you were telling me that you were going to take it slow!”

“That was before I saw her all sweaty wearing tight clothes and lifting hundred pound weights,” Blake stated.

“I…suppose I can understand that. But I’m not attracted to Yang so perhaps that’s-“

Blake’s eyes were on her again and they flashed.

_What the hell…?_

“Uh, Blake. I just said that I’m not attracted to her,” Weiss murmured, patting Blake’s arm gently. “What has gotten into you?”

Blake flopped onto the ground. “Okay, I totally forgot that I’m due to start my period in a few days and I usually get super intense and really horny beforehand so…”

Weiss nodded. “Ah. Well, that certainly explains the desire to hook up with Yang now.”

Blake kept her eyes on Yang. “While I do want to take things slow, I also know my body and there is no way that I’m going to be able to hold off for six days while my body does its stupid thing.”

“Yes, it can be rather tiresome,” Weiss agreed.

“Rather tiresome?” Blake repeated with a laugh. “Weiss, do know what being extra is?”

Weiss frowned. “Is this in a context other than meaning more?”

“Well, I suppose it’s kinda of the same thing, but has anyone ever called you extra?”

“No, I don’t recall that,” Weiss replied. “Or if they did, it wasn’t to my face.”

“Oh, I very much doubt anyone would call you extra.”

“Well, what does it mean then?” Weiss asked haughtily, getting annoyed at the possibility Blake was teasing her – or worse, insulting her.

“It means above and beyond. Yang is extra. Ruby is extra. Everything about them is just bigger for the sake of being bigger.”

“You mean Yang’s muscles?” Weiss asked in confusion.

Blake sighed dreamily as she stared at Yang once more.

“Blake!” Weiss snapped her fingers to get her attention.

“Sorry! Uh, no, not her muscles. Although they _are_ pretty big…”

“Blake!” Weiss whined.

“Okay, okay! Being extra is a personality thing. Right now, I’m super thirsty for Yang and that just means that anything I say and do is gonna be totally ostentatious.”

Oh, well why didn’t you just say that? I know what ostentatious means.”

Blake rolled her eyes smirked at Weiss. “Of course you do.”

“Is…that a good or a bad thing?” Weiss asked quietly.

Blake pulled her mouth to one side as she pondered. “I think it could be either, depending on the context. For the most part, I think it’s meant to be complimentary but in a teasing way.”

“Like how you’re being extra thirsty?” Weiss asked with a smirk.

Blake grinned. “You know, Weiss, I think you’re more socially savvy than you give yourself credit for.”

Weiss lifted a shoulder. “Perhaps. My family didn’t appreciate humour as a good quality which is why I was so formal to you when we first started emailing.”

“Hey, that’s okay. You’ve got a pretty good balance of people around you to encourage that side of Weiss to make a grand entrance.”

Weiss hummed in consideration. Once again, she was reminded of what Ruby had said the previous night. She glanced at her watch and saw that it had only just gone nine-thirty in the morning. Winter would be in morning briefings. She’d have to wait until one.

“Well, hey there, stranger!” Yang called.

Weiss’ attention was drawn back to where Yang had pushed herself up on the fence. Her muscles flexed and Weiss could see Blake practically salivating at the sight. She chuckled to herself. At least she wasn’t nearly as-

_Oh, fuck me sideways on Sunday._

Weiss blinked as Pyrrha landed easily in her yard after _vaulting the fence_.

“See? Told ya you could do it,” Yang said proudly, ruffling Pyrrha’s hair.

“Yang,” Pyrrha said tiredly with a smile on her face. Weiss knew from their many conversations that she was far too polite to actually berate anyone when they did something that annoyed her – a fact Yang took advantage of constantly.

Weiss suddenly felt exceptionally warmer than she had five seconds before. She started fanning herself discreetly.

“Hello!” Pyrrha called cheerfully, smiling widely and waving at Weiss.

_Oh God. What do I say? Hi? Hello? Good morning? Why is this so difficult?_

“Morning, Pyrrha,” Blake called back, standing up and linking an arm through Weiss’. “Say something,” she hissed through her smile.

“Morning!” Weiss said loudly.

“Oh wow. And you wanted to make fun of me for being thirsty over a girl that I’ve at least kissed?” Blake said in a low voice. She laughed lightly. “Weiss, you’re in so much trouble.”

Weiss barely heard her as her entire attention was on Pyrrha (and Yang) starting the obstacle course that Yang had set up.

“Maybe you have a point about sweat and muscles,” she mumbled.

Blake laughed louder and pulled Weiss over to the lawn furniture. “Put your sunglasses on, Weiss. Your leering won’t be so obvious.”

“What about you?” Weiss asked, slipping her sunglasses over her eyes as they stepped into the sun.

Blake smirked. “My eyes adjust pretty easily to the sun. That’s what happens when you grow up in a tropical paradise.” She sat down and got comfortable. “Besides, I don’t need to hide my leering. Yang knows exactly what’s going on in my mind.”

Almost as though she heard her, Yang ran over to Blake and leaned in to kiss her without any preamble. Weiss tried not to look but it was difficult. The kiss was sweet and soft, kind of like the kiss that she’d seen them sharing in the kitchen last night. Yang’s hands were cradling Blake’s face and Blake was stroking Yan’s wrists.

“You just looked too delicious for me not to give you a good morning kiss,” Yang murmured, kissing Blake’s cheek.

“Well now it’s definitely a good morning,” Blake replied with a smile.

Yang winked at her and stepped back. She grinned at Weiss and saluted. Weiss just smiled and shook her head.

Blake sighed happily and leaned back against her chair.

“It’s like you’re a totally different person,” Weiss mused in wonder.

“I know,” Blake said with a sigh. “I don’t really know how to explain it but she sets everything in me on fire – in a good way. She makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before just by looking at me or smiling at me or touching my hand.”

“That’s…”

“Weird, I know.”

Weiss smiled sadly. “Actually, I was going to say beautiful. I think it’s beautiful that you have such an intense connection with Yang that it completely engulfs you.”

Blake looked at Weiss. “Maybe I underestimated how extra you were, Weiss. You’re a total romantic.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Weiss said, looking at Pyrrha and feeling her heartrate increase when Pyrrha glanced back at her and gave her a little wave.

“It is a compliment, Weiss. And heck, if I have to lock the two of you in a room if you haven’t at least made out after a week, then I’ll do that.”

Weiss chuckled, despite the deep blush that coloured her cheeks.

“Family looks out for one another,” Blake murmured, reaching over and squeezing Weiss’ hand.

_Family…_

Weiss nodded slowly to herself. Family.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You want the date, don't ya? Not yet. First, have some sisterly love. If my sister read fanfiction, I'd dedicate this to her.

Ruby looked away from the TV as commercials started rolling and her eyes rested upon her sister snuggled up on one of the sofas with Blake. Her arm was around Blake’s shoulder and their fingers were linked. Blake was practically in Yang’s lap; that was how close together they were sitting. Yang was whispering something in Blake’s ear, making her erupt into a fit of silent giggles.

While Ruby didn’t really understand the whole attraction thing, she knew enough about it from what Yang and Pyrrha had explained to her when she was younger. And the smile on her sister’s face was enough to make Ruby very happy. It was all she wanted for Yang, especially after how they’d had to leave Patch. Ruby felt a little sad at how they’d packed up and left so quickly but she knew that it was for the best and she knew that Yang was protecting her from the truth.

Unfortunately, their Uncle Qrow had let slip far too much information one night when he’d come home drunk and Yang had been at work. Ruby had never told Yang what she’d learned that night; she figured Yang already knew the dark secrets their family harboured.

They’d moved away from Patch for a fresh start and Ruby loved Yang for doing an incredibly difficult thing, even though it was best for them both.

Seeing her cuddled up with Blake made the move worth it in Ruby’s mind.

She looked at the other sofa and saw quite a contrast; Weiss and Pyrrha were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, constantly glancing at each other out of the corners of their eyes. Ruby cocked her head, curious. She didn’t know much about social cues and what people did when they were looking to interact romantically with someone – _flirt, that’s it_ – but she did know Weiss a little and Weiss appeared to be uncomfortable.

Ruby was familiar with feeling uncomfortable. As much as Yang had tried to help her assimilate in social situations, Ruby often said or did things that made people look at her like she’d grown three extra heads. Which was preposterous, of course. Ruby was fairly certain that if she had the ability to grow extra heads, she’d only be able to grow one extra head.

The commercials ended and Ruby focused her attention back on _MythBusters_. Even though she always correctly predicted how the experiments were going to turn out, she enjoyed watching the process. Patch hadn’t gotten many cool shows but _MythBusters_ had been one of them, and a solid favourite of Ruby’s ever since she was a kid.

She was so absorbed in the show that she didn’t notice Weiss and Pyrrha had left the room until the credits were rolling. She blinked in surprise. Usually her super hearing picked up stuff like that.

_Maybe they became ninjas overnight. Pyrrha is pretty close to a ninja and Weiss could totally pull off the ninja death glare._

Of course, that glare had only ever been directed at Yang but Ruby picked up everything. She was like a sponge. She soaked up every interaction around her because they fascinated her. How people behaved around one another was super interesting. Not as interesting as the designs for her semester final, but still entertaining.

“What’s up, Rubes?” Yang asked quietly.

Yang was sitting with her back against the arm of the sofa, her legs up. Blake was curled up against her chest, her eyes closed. Yang’s left hand was entangled with both of Blake’s and her right hand was softly stroking Blake’s back.

“Where did Weiss and Pyrrha go?” Ruby asked, consciously keeping her voice low. Yang had taught her about using her inside voice and while she totally forgot about it most of the time, the way Yang was holding Blake and looking down at her every few seconds told Ruby that she needed to make an effort to remember all those things that Yang told her.

Yang glanced around, careful not to jostle Blake. “I didn’t even hear them leave.”

“They’re ninjas,” Ruby whispered conspiratorially, touching her nose.

Yang grinned and winked, touching her nose in agreement. Ruby grinned back. Yang always made her feel at ease in any situation, even if it was something totally new and scary. When she’d first told Ruby that they were moving into a big house with a girl they didn’t know, Ruby was pretty nervous about it. It took people a long time to get used to her personality and some people just didn’t get used to it at all.

“ _Pssst_.”

Ruby looked at Yang.

“You remember everything I told you about tonight?”

Ruby nodded excitedly. She was helping Yang prepare for her date with Blake and it was going to be amazing. Well, Yang said it was. Ruby didn’t really know what romance was, nor did she have any desire to find out. What she did know what that it was apparently quite important in a relationship where people kissed and stuff. And since she knew that’s what Yang and Blake did, it was therefore very important that their date was super romantic.

Yang was her favourite person in the whole world and Ruby was going to do the best she could to bring her vision to life.

* * *

Yang knew Ruby was excited about helping her plan her date that evening. She was super excited too, and not just because she was finally spending some quality one-on-one time with Blake.

Almost as though she’d known she was on Yang’s mind – as though there was a moment where she wasn’t – Blake stirred and nuzzled into Yang’s breasts, where she’d been laying her head. Yang bit her lip and willed her spike of arousal to dissipate. It was _very_ tempting to abandon the date and just take Blake upstairs and spend hours adoring her but their date was important to Yang, and not just as a way to get to know Blake better and spend time with her.

As Blake continued to wake up slowly, Yang looked back at Ruby, who was watching them curiously. It made Yang smile. Human interaction fascinated Ruby and always had. Ruby hadn’t been a social person, even as a kid. As much as Yang had encouraged her to hang out with the kids in her school classes, Ruby had often ended up in tears because the kids had laughed at her or just ignored her.

Yang’s protectiveness of her sister had started at a very young age because seeing Ruby cry made her very sad and very mad, all in one weird emotion. Ruby called it sadmad. Yang didn’t mind Ruby watching her with Blake; she didn’t find it creepy because it was rooted in Ruby’s genuine curiosity at how people interacted with each other in different ways. It was unlikely that Ruby would ever experience those interactions for herself so Yang allowed her to observe her. After she and Pyrrha had split, anyone that Yang had dated had been weirded out by it, which Yang could understand.

Her sister would always come first, though, and she knew that she needed to make that clear to Blake if things were going to get serious between them. She really hoped that it wouldn’t be an issue because she was already falling so hard and fast for Blake that she wasn’t sure what she’d do if Blake rebuked the level of Ruby’s involvement in her life.

Pyrrha had been around when Ruby was growing up and since they had done everything together, it had only been natural for Pyrrha to gain an understanding of how Ruby worked. Next to Yang, Pyrrha knew Ruby the best.

_Would Weiss have stolen Pyrrha away to make out with her?_

Yang smirked at the thought. Weiss had hardly been subtle in her leering during their workout – in which Pyrrha had kicked her butt. The consolation kisses she’d gotten from Blake had been totally worth it, though. She knew Pyrrha, though, and while she was _super_ into Weiss, she moved slower than a snail when it came to making a move. Only after they’d been on several dates and after Yang had encouraged her to make a move had she kissed Yang without Yang initiating it first. She knew it was because Pyrrha was just super polite about everything and would never do anything to make Weiss feel uncomfortable. Yang knew that was a big reason why they were so perfectly suited to one another. Weiss was very much a baby gay – a blind person could see that – and Pyrrha would be so attuned to what Weiss wanted.

_They’re actually kinda perfect for one another._

Blake wrapped her free arm around Yang’s neck and tugged her down. Smiling, Yang acquiesced and pressed her lips softly against Blake’s.

Blake hummed and opened her eyes when Yang pulled away slightly. “How long was I asleep?” she mumbled.

“Not long,” Yang replied. “Maybe fifteen minutes?”

Blake chuckled. “You’ll get used to my cat naps. I take them all the time.”

“Sounds good to me,” Yang replied, leaning down for a quick kiss. “And if I’m around to be a pillow, I’ll be more than happy to.”

Blake grinned and rolled her face against Yang’s boobs, causing her body temperature to spike and her breathing to quicken.

“Careful, Blake,” she warned quietly. “You’re making it difficult to hold onto my resolve.”

Blake sat up and straddled her. “Would it be so bad if we skipped the date and you just took me upstairs right now?”

Yang swallowed. “I, uh…” She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and was reminded that Ruby was still in the room. She sighed. “Blake, before we go any further or get any deeper into this, I need to make something clear to you.”

Blake frowned and Yang could immediately see her defences creeping back up as she moved away from Yang slightly. Her arms wrapped around Blake’s waist and she held her close.

“I am so into you, it’s actually ridiculous,” Yang said slowly and confidently, making sure that Blake could hear how sure she was about them. “I do think that we could be something really special and I’m really looking forward to navigating that journey with you.” She paused but maintained eye contact. Blake seemed to have relaxed a little and her hands rested on Yang’s shoulders, lightly playing with loose strands of her hair.

“Blake, Ruby has been my world for so long and while I know how to take time for myself and whatnot, she is always going to be my priority. I’m not ready to get into the details behind that, not yet. In the past, when I dated someone, they really struggled to understand and accept how much of my life revolves around her. Ultimately, they didn’t like that they had to share me with her.” Yang sighed. “Yes, she’s getting older now and she will gradually be more self-sufficient but-“

Blake covered Yang’s mouth with her hand and smiled, tears prickling the corners of her eyes. Yang just looked up at her in awe.

“Yang, I think it’s wonderful how close you two are, how protective you are of her and the way you two interact is just magic. You have a very special bond that goes beyond sibling love. I would _never_ dream of coming between you two or making you choose. That’s not fair to you and it’s not fair to Ruby.” Blake dropped her hand, letting her fingers graze over Yang’s lips.

“Okay, so the reason why I can’t cancel our date is because Ruby’s helping me plan it and I feel like I need to spend that time with her before devoting all my attention to you.”

“I appreciate that you want me to be your focus, Yang, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that. If it’s going to cause any issues, though, I wouldn’t want you to be worried or distracted at any point. It wouldn’t be any fun if I knew that you were sacrificing something just to spend an evening with me.”

“God, you really are perfect,” Yang whispered, capturing Blake’s bottom lip between hers. She could feel Blake’s fingers digging into her shoulders as their kiss slowly intensified.

_Oh, shit. We need to stop. Shit, need to stop._

Yang pulled away and rested her head against Blake’s shoulder. “Thank you, Blake. Your understanding of this means more than I can say.”

Blake tipped her chin up and smirked. “You can show me how grateful you are during our date later.” She climbed off Yang and stretched, her shirt creeping up and exposing milky white skin that Yang’s fingers itched to touch.

 _Later_ , she vowed. After Blake’s text that morning and all the subsequent kisses and touches, Yang knew that after their date, they were going to spend the night exploring each other’s bodies. It was just something she knew. While a small part of her was nervous because she’d never had sex with someone for whom she had such intense feelings, Yang was excited. Their mutual attraction and appreciation of one another guaranteed amazing sex and Yang was definitely ready for that.

And if she’d misread the signs and all they did was make out and cuddle, Yang would be super happy with that too. She was taking her lead from Blake and it felt like Blake was leading her straight to a bedroom – she wasn’t sure which bedroom since she’d already told Ruby to make use of her insanely high-tech noise-cancelling headphones. She didn’t want to scar poor Weiss.

Speaking of…

Yang stood up, pressing her body up against Blake’s. Blake’s hands went to her forearms – Yang already knew that Blake _loved_ her arms – and Yang gave her an Eskimo kiss.

“I’ll come and collect you at seven, Belladonna,” she whispered.

“I can’t wait,” Blake whispered back, squeezing Yang’s triceps and biting her lip.

_Goddamn. Walk away, Yang. Just walk away._

With a willpower she didn’t know she possessed, Yang released Blake and walked past her to where Ruby was curled up on the only armchair in the living room, playing a game on her phone. She knelt down next to her.

“Hi!” Ruby exclaimed with a grin.

“Hey,” Yang smiled fondly. “So you didn’t see Weiss and Pyrrha leave?”

Ruby shook her head. “Maybe they went for a walk?”

“We’re in quarantine. No one’s allowed to be walking around outside.”

“Oooooh,” Ruby said, drawing out the sound. Yang had explained that to her, several times, but she always had to tell Ruby things multiple times before she registered it.

“I’m going to shower and get ready. Will you be ready to help me in an hour?”

“Yes!”

Yang grinned and ruffled Ruby’s hair. “Thanks, sis.”

“Yang?”

She paused in her movement to leave. “What’s up?”

“Is what you said to Blake true? That I’m your priority?” Ruby asked softly.

Yang wasn’t surprised that Ruby had overheard her conversation with Blake, even though they’d been across the room and keeping their voices low.

“Rubes, you know you’re my number one.”

“It’d be okay if Blake was your number one,” Ruby said. “I know I don’t know anything about love or romance or that stuff, but you’ve never smiled more than you have around her. You’re happier than I’ve seen you in a long time and that’s because of her, not because of me.”

“Ruby-“

“Wait, wait. I know what I wanna say so let me say it, okay? Before I forget how to say it.”

Yang swallowed and nodded. She gave Ruby her undivided attention.

“I know I was too young to see Mom and Dad together but you’ve told me what they were like and before Dad got…before he…before, Dad used to tell me stories too. I didn’t really understand it then but I kind of understand it now and if that’s what love is, I think that’s what you have with Blake and you can’t let me stop you from experiencing all of that. You can’t give her only part of yourself because you’re worried about me. You said it yourself, I’m growing up and I need to start being more self-sufficient.”

Yang paused, making sure that Ruby was done. “Ruby, Blake is fine with-“

“I’m not fine with it!” Ruby cut in, finally looking at Yang. Her silver eyes were clear and her gaze was firm. “Yang, you’re my big sister and I love you with my whole heart. Mostly because I don’t really get the other kind of love and you’re the only person who’s ever shown me what it is to love someone. Well, you and Pyrrha so I love her too but not as much as I love you. You’re everything to me. I know that you want to protect me and that you don’t want to see me hurt like I was when I was younger but you can’t do that at the expense of finding your own true love.”

Yang’s mind raced. She hadn’t expected Ruby to declare so determinedly that she was to ease up on her devotion to her sister. Just the previous evening, they’d been talking about how Yang would always be there for her. She wasn’t sure what to make of the sudden one-eighty.

“Ruby, regardless of what happens between me and Blake, I’ll never stop loving you and you will never stop being my sister. I can’t _not_ care about you and worry about you and be protective of you. I don’t know how to not do that.”

Ruby smiled and took Yang’s hand. “It’s okay, Yang. We can learn to let go together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date next chapter. Promise. Totally.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know... IRL shit happened, dudes.

Weiss glanced back at her house and furrowed her brows. She knew that she could trust Blake and Yang with her home; Ruby…not so much. Regardless, she wasn’t sure why she was feeling so guilty about following Pyrrha outside to the back yard. The equipment from their obstacle course was still strewn all over the grass and it reminded Weiss of just how athletic Pyrrha was and how had made Yang look like an amateur.

_Well, strictly speaking that is in fact the case. Pyrrha is a Junior Olympian and while she and Yang may have been on equal footing in Patch, Pyrrha’s advanced training has clearly put her in a league above-_

“Weiss?”

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Pyrrha, who was sitting on the wall separating their two properties. She was balancing on the narrow space like it was nothing and Weiss was once again in awe of Pyrrha’s incredible strength.

She swallowed. “I’m not certain that I would be able to join you up there,” Weiss said. “My core strength is terrible, never mind my balance.”

Pyrrha chuckled and held out a hand. “Don’t worry, Weiss. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Weiss felt butterflies erupt in her stomach and smiled bashfully. She’d never felt so giddy than when she was talking to Pyrrha. She’d never experienced the full emotion of a crush before and while it was a little overwhelming at times and prone to her overthinking, she quite enjoyed the feeling overall.

“So you never did any crazy things as a kid, did you?” Pyrrha asked, sliding off the wall and down to Weiss.

Weiss felt her cheeks flush. “Is that obvious?”

Pyrrha smiled that warm, genuine smile that Weiss could feel down to her toes.

“I think it’s fair to expect that everyone has different experiences,” Pyrrha said in her usual measured tone – a tone that Weiss found wholly relaxing. “Growing up in Atlas with such a notable last name must have made things like climbing trees and walls seem ridiculous.”

“I suppose that’s a good way of putting it.”

“The same way I would struggle to understand what it would be like to grow up with recitals and parties and fancy to-dos every weekend,” Pyrrha continued, not in an unkind way.

“But you do all of that now. Everyone on Remnant knows who you are, Pyrrha.”

Pyrrha smiled sadly. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.” She pursed her lips. “May I tell you a secret, Weiss?”

Weiss’ breath caught in her throat. “Of course, Pyrrha.”

“I wish several times a day that I had never taken that offer from Ozpin. If I hadn’t, I would still be on Patch, living a life I loved and surrounded by people who knew me for who I was, not how many medals I’d won.”

“Oh… So you wish to be back on Patch?” Weiss swallowed. “W-With Yang?”

Pyrrha blinked in surprise. “Yang?”

“Well, yes. You two were…together, were you not?”

“We’d broken up a good number of months before I received that offer. Our relationship had run its course.” Pyrrha cocked her head to the side. “I do recall Yang mentioning that several times yesterday.”

Weiss blushed furiously at being caught out. “Well, if we’re sharing secrets, let me say that I wanted to hear from you that you had no regrets about ending your relationship with Yang.”

“I can understand that. We were each other’s first love. That will always hold a special place in both our hearts but not in the way you may think. Yang always was one of my best friends and after we broke up, we remained friends. She holds a place in my heart more so as a dear friend than a past lover.”

Weiss pulled a face at Pyrrha’s terminology, causing her to laugh out loud.

“I’m enjoying learning so much about you, Weiss. Yang is very clearly smitten with Blake and even if I did still have romantic feelings for her – which I don’t – I would not interfere with her buddying romance. That’s not fair to anyone.”

“O-Okay.”

Pyrrha chuckled lightly to herself. “Yang always said that I moved too slowly, even when I wanted something. Seeing her with Blake and how quickly that has developed has given me a semblance of courage.” She stepped closer to Weiss, who gasped quietly.

In the fading afternoon light, Weiss could make out the inflections of yellow in her green eyes. A breeze crept up and blew a few loose strands of Pyrrha’s red hair in front of those eyes and Weiss didn’t fight her instinct to lift her right hand and brush them away.

“Weiss, I feel that in most romantic situations, there is a general sense of following the moment and while I’m certainly feeling that now,” Pyrrha murmured, swallowing, “I feel compelled to ask the question.”

“W-What question?” Weiss whispered, her fingers tracing the side of Pyrrha’s face.

“Weiss, may I kiss you?”

“Please,” Weiss replied immediately, not really caring that she sounded like she was begging.

Pyrrha smiled and stepped even closer so that their chests were pressed together.

“Oh my,” Weiss murmured, suddenly not sure what she should be doing with her hands.

“Put your arms around my neck.” Pyrrha whispered, leaning down to nudge her nose against Weiss’s.

Weiss wasn’t entirely sure how her brain was computing Pyrrha’s instructions but she linked her arms around Pyrrha’s neck and suddenly, they were mere millimetres apart.

Pyrrha’s fingers brushed Weiss’ cheek softly. “You are so beautiful, Weiss Schnee, both inside and out. You’ve captivated me.”

Weiss was rendered speechless, probably for the first time in her life, so she did the only logical thing she could come up with. She pushed up onto her toes and kissed Pyrrha Nikos, the girl next door.

The girl of her dreams.

* * *

Yang finished packing all the food she would need into a big basket and hoisted it off the kitchen counter. The food prep was what took the longest and Yang was glad that she was on the final stretch of her date planning. Smiling, she exited the kitchen and headed for the back yard. She almost collided with Ruby who’d come out of nowhere. Thankfully, she was always prepared for a Ruby collision and kept the picnic basket secure in her grip.

“Ruby, what’s up?” Yang asked, seeing the excited look on her face.

“Yang, I saw them!” she squealed.

“Saw who?”

“Weiss and Pyrrha!”

Yang smiled. She already had a feeling where the conversation was going. “What a little detective. Where were they?”

“They were laying on the lounger. Yang,” Ruby leaned closer as though she was revealing a secret, “they were _kissing_.”

Yang was impressed. She really didn’t think that either Weiss nor Pyrrha would have had the balls to take that leap so quickly. “That’s awesome,” she said with a grin. “I’m super happy for them.”

“Will they still be my friends?” Ruby asked, her brow furrowing in worry.

Yang chuckled and ruffled Ruby’s hair. “Even though Blake and I are together and Weiss and Pyrrha are together, we will all still be your friends. You never need to worry about that.”

“Okay.” Ruby grinned. “But are you still gonna do training with me?”

“You bet your ass!” Yang paused and considered why Ruby was asking those questions. “Rubes, I know we had a talk about this earlier and while I’m very happy for us to learn to have a little separation, that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be in my life all the time. You’re still my sister and that will never, _never_ change.”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, okay. I kinda like our new family though. I just didn’t want it to change too much.”

“Don’t stress, Rubes. We love you too much to leave you to your own devices.”

“Hey!” Ruby protested and took a swing at Yang, which she easily dodged.

Chuckling, Yang said, “Do me a favour? Go upstairs to my room and bring down my pillows and my comforter?”

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Are we making a fort?”

Yang paused. “No, they’re for my picnic with Blake,” she said slowly.

“Oh, right!” Ruby laughed. “I remember. Okay, I’ll be back!”

Ruby dashed towards the stairs and Yang watched the space for a moment. She hated that she felt guilty about planning a date with someone that captivated her more than any girl ever had before while still unsure whether her sister was fully on board with what Blake could end up meaning to Yang.

Yang sighed and walked outside to the fire pit where she had already set up the outdoor sofa and small table for serving. She didn’t glance towards the wall separating Weiss’ house from Pyrrha’s because as happy as she was for them, their moment was theirs to share with one another.

While she was generally loud-mouthed and arrogant, Yang loved and treasured romance. Along with helping Ruby understand, Yang wanted to take the time to make Blake feel wooed and special. She heard a thump and looked up to see Ruby falling over her own feet as she dragged the mass of pillows and covers from her bed. Yang jumped up to help her sister and directed her carefully as they created the perfect fort – Ruby’s genius engineering brain meant that it was structurally sound and all angles were covered to keep out any evening chill that would likely creep upon them later.

Yang adjusted the last pillow and stepped back, smiling in satisfaction.

“Good job, Rubes!” Yang held up her hand for a fist bump that Ruby met with fervour.

“It looks super cool and cosy,” Ruby agreed.

“Well, _if_ it’s still up tomorrow, we’ll have some fun it,” Yang promised, not entirely sure _where_ her R-rated activities with Blake would occur.

“Awesome!”

Ruby’s enthusiasm for literally anything was too infectious.

“So, what are you going to get up to this evening?” Yang asked, tucking the picnic basket behind the sofa and out of Ruby’s sight – she’d already had to smack her sister’s hands away twice from sneaking some goodies from the basket.

“I dunno. Netflix just released Avatar so I might binge that again.”

Yang chuckled and ruffled her hair. “Awesome. Even though you can damn near quote that entire show.”

“It’s a classic, Yang,” Ruby said seriously.

“Absolutely,” Yang agreed immediately. “You know I love it too. Be sure to remember our favourite scenes. We’ll re-enact them tomorrow as part of our workout.” Yang wasn’t entirely sure where she was going to find the energy the following morning for a workout with Ruby when she was likely going to do far more cardio later than she had in the last two weeks but that was a problem for Future Yang.

She glanced at her watch and saw that she had five minutes to freshen up before she fetched Blake for their date. Yang steered Ruby away from the chairs where Pyrrha and Weiss _had_ been relaxing earlier. Yang wanted Ruby sufficiently distracted by the time she picked up Blake so that she wouldn’t suddenly get the urge to ask her something and keep them both distracted for who knew how long.

Yang marched Ruby up the stairs and threw her onto her bed with a laugh. Ruby’s giggles were usually too infectious for Yang to ignore but she held firm. She had the most perfect woman waiting for her to wine and dine and-

“Yang, what if I get bored?” Ruby asked, logging into Netflix on her tablet.

“Rubes, you can work on designs, you can watch other shows on Netflix, you can draw, you can build puzzles. Whatever you feel like doing. Could I ask that you try and focus on staying up here tonight?”

Ruby looked up at Yang and bit her lip. Then she grinned and nodded. “Sure!”

Yang let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Okay, awesome.” She paused on her way out of room and grabbed Ruby’s noise-cancelling headphones. “Don’t forget these,” she added, tossing them to her sister.

Ruby didn’t even register her leaving the room as her eyes were already trained on her screen.

* * *

Blake glanced at her phone and rolled her eyes. A minute hadn’t even passed since the last time she’d checked. She was full of nervous energy that she didn’t quite know what to do with. It wasn’t an energy she’d ever felt before. She’d been nervous before and she’d had bouts of adrenaline before; this was like a strange mesh of the two.

A soft knock on her door had her jumping up.

_Jesus, what the fuck is your problem? You’ve infiltrated some of the most highly secure buildings in Mistral and you’re nervous about this? Come on._

Blake took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before walking to the door and opening it slowly.

One look at Yang’s smile made her realise why she was nervous – Yang made her nervous in all the best ways because Yang opened her up to every amazing emotion. She’d felt it all day; watching her train that morning, snuggling on the couch after lunch and then their conversation about Ruby just before she’d left the sisters to get ready for her date.

For _their_ date.

“You are breathtaking,” Yang murmured, her eyes travelling up and down Blake’s body, making her shiver. Her black dress was modest but Yang made her feel like she was wearing high fashion.

_God, and she hasn’t even touched me yet._

Yang was wearing black jeans, ankle boots, a yellow tank with a brown leather jacket.

_Fuck me six ways from Sunday._

Without responding, Blake just followed her instincts and stepped into Yang’s arms that were around her as soon as she did. She lips met automatically and Blake stifled the gasp of not just arousal but overwhelming desire for Yang. She wanted to be near her, to touch her, to listen to her, to watch her, to experience every waking second with her.

She understood a little of what Yang had mentioned in her room the previous night.

_I’m drawn to you._

Yang pulled away first, resting their foreheads together as they both caught their breaths.

“God, I really want to tear that amazing dress of you and just make love to you fifty times but I also really want us to have this date.”

Blake nodded, feeling the tension of the exact same dilemma. She pressed a soft kiss to Yang’s cheek. “Let’s go.”

She pulled her door closed behind them; fairly certain it wouldn’t be too long before they were back. Yang offered her arm and Blake took it with a bashful smile. She’d been on plenty of dates before but Yang’s was already her favourite and it had barely even started.

* * *

“I’d love to visit Menagerie sometime,” Yang said wistfully, angling the marshmallow artfully over the fire.

Blake grinned. “Was that your subtle way of asking for an invitation?”

Yang met her eyes and matched her grin. “If you’re offering, Belladonna, you bet your sweet ass I’m gonna take advantage.”

Once they’d settled outside and started eating and talking, the initial nervousness ebbed away and the flirting game returned with force. Blake’s cheeks were starting to cramp from the perpetual smile she’d been wearing for the last two hours.

A soft gust blew across the back yard and hit Blake’s exposed arm, causing her to shiver. Without saying anything, Yang scooted into the far corner of the sofa – a corner covered cleverly by her large comforter – rested one leg against the back of the cushions and smiled warmly. Blake didn’t need a second invitation and scooted closer, snuggling into Yang’s natural warmth.

Although they’d been cuddling all night, with every few minutes that passed, it seemed as though they wanted to get even closer.

Blake was certainly not complaining. She had accepted the fact that she was _insanely_ attracted to Yang and as their date had worn on, her affection had grown too. Yang was funny, was honest, was unapologetic and had one of the strongest moral compasses Blake had ever seen. Given her heritage and her own personal history, that was probably the most comforting trait she’d discovered.

Although they had covered a variety of topics about one another, Blake was keenly aware that the subject of Yang’s parents and the reason they’d moved from Patch was still a no-go. Yang had explained that while she did want to tell her, she wasn’t ready to yet. Blake could understand; there were things in her past that she was not proud of, things that she worried would change the way Yang looked at her but as soon as Yang brushed a strand of hair away from her face or fed her another mini tuna sandwich or refilled her wine, she forgot about her past and focussed on the biggest shining light of her present and hopefully her future.

Yang Xiao Long was perfect. She wasn’t the perfect person – no one was. But in Blake’s eyes, there was no other person more perfect for her than Yang.

She was falling hard and she was falling fast and as Yang’s arm tightened around her waist, she knew that Yang would catch her regardless of how quickly and how hard she fell.

Blake giggled as Yang swore at the melted and gooey marshmallow. It would have been easier to eat with two hands but it was clear that Yang had no intention of moving her left arm from Blake’s waist. Blake certainly didn’t mind either.

She reached up and pulled the hot, half-eaten marshmallow from Yang’s mouth, putting it in her own instead. Yang’s lilac eyes darkened immediately as she followed Blake’s fingers to her lips. As soon as her fingers left her mouth, Yang’s lips were upon hers. Despite the urgency behind the movement, the kiss was soft and sweet – although that was probably from the marshmallow. Blake sucked on Yang’s bottom lip before pulling away and licking her sticky fingers.

The heat between them threatened to burn hotter than the fire.

“Did you have anything else planned?” Blake murmured.

Yang just shook her head, her eyes following Blake’s fingers as though she was hypnotised. Blake gripped Yang’s chin and forced their gaze to lock.

“Then, Yang, I suggest we move this next portion of the evening to my bedroom.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is certainly no longer a quick fic. Lol. Whoops. I think I’m really just going to keep going with this until I get bored or run out of ideas :)  
> Rated M. Y’ALL THIRSTY MUTHAFLUFFAS.

Weiss glanced at the high ceiling of the library in Pyrrha’s house. It was very impressive and something that Weiss missed about the Schnee Manor House in Atlas – one of the only things, really.

“Do you like to read, Weiss?” Pyrrha asked quietly, standing next to her.

“I do,” Weiss replied with a smile. “Growing up, everything in my life was controlled so having the escape of books was wonderful.”

“I’m sorry that you didn’t get to experience things that most other children experience when they’re younger,” Pyrrha said, her tone regretful.

“Hey, don’t even worry about it,” Weiss replied quickly, facing her and linking their fingers together. Two hours before she would have been petrified of doing that but after kissing Pyrrha and cuddling with her, it was as though she’d found her courage and it feel _right_ to be close to her and touch her. “We cannot change the past and feeling regretful or wistful about it only detracts from the very bright future I see for both of us. I accepted a long time ago that there are certain things in my life that I cannot change and I would rather focus my attention and energy on things that I can change, things that matter the most to me.”

Pyrrha smiled and nodded. “That is sage wisdom, Weiss Schnee.”

Weiss blushed. “Well, I’m not known as Wise Weiss for nothing.”

_Oh no. I can’t believe I just said that. Pyrrha’s going to-_

Pyrrha threw her head back and laughed, which caused Weiss to smile back, albeit in confusion.

“Oh, Weiss, you are truly delightful.” Pyrrha stepped closer to her and once again, Weiss felt her breath catch in her throat. “I’ve never been captivated by anyone the way I’m captivated by you.”

“Oh,” Weiss murmured.

There was no hesitation this time when their lips met. Weiss immediately rested her forearms on Pyrrha’s shoulders and stood on her tiptoes to be closer. Pyrrha’s arms wrapped around Weiss’s waist and pulled her towards her so that their fronts were pressed together.

Weiss was fairly certain that Pyrrha was able to hear her heart hammering away in her chest but the quickness of breath that escaped Pyrrha’s lips when they parted briefly told her that maybe, just maybe, Pyrrha’s was beating just as fast. Following her curiosity, Weiss dropped her right hand and placed her palm on Pyrrha’s chest, touching the edge of her breast.

Weiss broke the kiss and stared at her hand. It was actually moving ever so slightly with the force of Pyrrha’s heartbeats.

“Sorry, I just-“

“No, don’t apologise,” Weiss said immediately, looking back up at her. “It’s…really flattering to know that I affect you in the same way you affect me.”

Pyrrha chuckled. “Oh, Weiss. You have _no_ idea the effect you have on me.”

Weiss pressed her fingers into Pyrrha’s sternum at those words. She swallowed. “Show me.”

* * *

Yang wasn’t entirely sure how they made it to Blake’s room with their clothes still on. She did know that she’d carried Blake from about halfway up the stairs, needing to feel physically closer to her. Blake’s legs had wrapped around her waist and Yang had struggled not to take her the railing right then and there.

With one arm holding Blake to her and the other hand fumbling for the handle to open Blake’s door and _failing_ , Yang groaned in frustration and pulled her lips from Blake’s.

“No,” Blake whined, chasing her mouth.

“Let me get us on the other side of this door and you can put her lips anywhere you want,” Yang promised, momentarily stunned into stillness by the hungry look in Blake’s eyes.

“Anywhere?” Blake purred, leaning in and licking up the side of Yang’s neck.

“Oh Jesus Christ,” Yang moaned loudly. “Fuck fuck, fuck.”

“Yes,” Blake responded. “Sooner rather than later, if you please.”

“Oh, I will please, Blake. You can count on that.”

Yang finally gripped the door handle and twisted, pushing it open. She walked them inside, spun around and pressed Blake up against the back of the door, closing it. As Yang leaned up to capture Blake’s waiting lips, she twisted the lock on the door. Neither of them wanted to be interrupted for the rest of the night – and probably the morning too.

Blake immediately started moving against Yang, her thigh muscles flexing in an effort to get some relief. Blake’s dress was already hiked up to her waist, giving Yang plenty of access to the place she couldn’t wait to spend hours. Getting a solid stance and letting the door hold their weight, Yang chucked her jacket off. With her left hand, she softly traced down the side of Blake’s face, along her shoulder to the strap of her dress. While she was pretty sure that they had given their consent, Yang met Blake’s eyes.

“Please,” Blake whispered desperately. “Yang, do anything to me. I swear to the gods. Just fuck me.”

Yang grinned. “You are the sexiest woman on this planet.” She pulled down the dress and bra strap which revealed Blake’s breast. Yang was quick to latch her lips around the nipple.

“Oh, fuck!” Blake cried out, arching into Yang.

Yang could already _smell_ Blake and it was too enticing for her to ignore. Her hips still kept Blake pinned against the door and while her mouth paid divine attention to Blake’s breast, her right hand moved further down and her thumb pressed against Blake’s clit.

Blake yelped in pleasure. “Gods, I’m not going to last long, Yang. Please, get inside me now!”

Yang wasn’t about to argue with her so she used her thumb to move Blake’s underwear to the side and gently guided two fingers in – not that it was too difficult.

“Oh my God,” she groaned, releasing Blake’s breast for a brief moment. “You’re so wet.”

“I’m _intimately_ aware of how wet I am, Yang,” Blake said, breathing heavily. “I have been that wet since this morning so _please_ put me out of my misery.”

“Misery?” Yang tutted before leaning in to nip Blake’s neck. “Quite the opposite, babe. This is going to be all about the euphoria.”

“Promises, promises,” Blake gasped out as Yang pushed her fingers in harder and further. She pulled out till her fingertips brushed Blake’s lips and then pushed back in, with a little more force.

“Fuck yes,” Blake moaned. “Harder.”

Yang obliged and upped her pace, making sure that her long fingers went as deep as they could with each push. She could tell by Blake’s moans and shortness of breath that she was really close. Yang pulled her lips from Blake’s skin and moved her head back to watch Blake. Her pale skin was gloriously flushed and her dark hair was stuck to her sweaty skin. Her head was resting against the door and her eyes were shut tightly. The veins in her neck were pulled tight and Yang leaned in briefly to kiss them softly.

“Blake,” she murmured.

Blake’s eyes immediately opened and they locked gazes as Yang moved inside her, curling her fingers in that _come hither_ motion that never failed to drive her wild. Luckily, it seemed to have the same effect on Blake. Yang could see her face scrunch up and she could tell Blake wanted to close her eyes but for some reason, she didn’t. They kept that contact until Blake’s orgasm was triggered and her body forced her to close them as she twitched in pleasure, moaning loudly. Her head dropped onto Yang’s shoulder as Yang slowly pushed her through what seemed to be a pretty big orgasm.

She had no doubt that she could coax a bigger one out of Blake.

“Yang,” Blake murmured, shifting her weight off the door and back onto Yang who steadied her easily.

“Hi,” Yang replied back softly, meeting Blake’s lips for a sensual kiss.

“Take me to bed, please.”

Yang turned around, keeping her eyes on Blake and gently lay her against the pillows. Blake kicked off her shoes and Yang did the same, pulling off her socks in the process. When Blake moved to the right strap of her dress, Yang immediately straddled her and covered her hand.

“May I?”

“You may,” Blake whispered.

Yang was a romantic at heart and enjoyed the intimacy that sex brought when it was with someone she cared for. And while she’d been promiscuous in her early college years, she had never experienced the level of intimacy that she and Blake were experiencing at that moment, as she undressed her.

“Is up or down easier?” Yang asked, keeping her voice quiet.

“Up, probably,” Blake replied, sitting up with a core strength that had Yang shivering in anticipation. Yang moved her hand to Blake’s back, delighted to feel the damp skin. She undid the clasp and dragged the zipper down. Then Yang moved her hands down to Blake’s hips, to her firm thighs and shuffled her body further back on the bed so that her lips could follow her hands. Her fingers shifted Blake’s dress up, exposing her wear, still partially pulled to the side, exposing the wetness that had Yang licking her lips.

_Patience. You have hours still._

Yang pushed Blake’s dress even further up her torso, revealing the toned stomach that Yang had been itching to see. And kiss. And bite. And suck. And just breathe in.

She had a thing for abs, okay. And Blake’s abs were _perfect_.

“God, this is so fucking sexy but I need your hands on _me_ and not my dress,” Blake muttered, grabbing one side and pulling it over her head in one smooth motion. She fell back against the pillows in her lopsided bra and panties and sent Yang a summoning look.

Like she was going to fucking ignore that siren’s call. Yang scrambled up Blake’s torso and kissed her, sucking hard on her bottom lip. Blake arched into her and her hands tugged at Yang’s shirt impatiently. Yang sat up, straddling Blake once more and made a show of taking her shirt off, stretching her upper body as she pulled it over her head.

“Holy shit. I honestly think I could cum just from watching you undress,” Blake breathed.

“Cum all you want, babe. I live to serve,” Yang replied tossing the shirt to one side and settling on top of Blake again. While they weren’t completely naked, having the skin on skin contact felt amazing.

“I feel like you’re a dream,” Blake murmured, tracing Yang’s jawline. “I feel like you’re this perfect person that I dreamed up in my head and now here you are.”

Yang swallowed. “I feel exactly the same way. No one affects my head, my body, my heart the way you do.”

“This…is serious between us, isn’t it?” Blake asked and Yang hated that she saw a flicker of doubt and fear in her eyes. She knew she had to be honest, lay everything on the table.

“For me, it is. I know what I want, Blake, and you’re it. If I had boxes that a girl could tick, you’d tick every single one and then some for extra credit.”

Blake cracked a small smile. “I have been called a perfectionist.”

Yang kissed her softly. “I think you’re perfect.”

“Oh, wow,” Blake breathed out. “I think you’re perfect too.”

They looked at each other for a few minutes, Yang getting the feeling that Blake needed to settle her thoughts somewhat.

“How are you doing?” she asked after memorising every freckle on Blake’s face and neck.

“I’m…good,” Blake replied, punctuating it with a short nod.

Yang grinned. “Think you have it in you to ramp that up to great?”

“Even if I didn’t, I’m sure you’d be able to show me,” Blake replied without missing a beat.

“So fucking perfect,” Yang whispered, leaning in to kiss her before she said something that would probably scare Blake right out of her own room.

Instead of saying those words, she showed her. Again and again.

* * *

Blake had her head resting against her hand with her elbow propped up so that she could observe a sound asleep Yang in the moonlight. They hadn’t bothered closing her blinds so the light from the near full moon shone through, illuminating the room. It had woken Blake up a few minutes before and as soon as she’d turned over and seen Yang, she was suddenly a lot more awake and riveted with watching Yang sleep.

As her eyes traced over Yang’s profile, her back muscles, Blake bit her lip as she remembered the best night of sex she had ever had in her life. Nothing even came close to what Yang had made her feel. She’d honestly lost track of how many orgasms she’d had and they had _all_ been phenomenal.

Yang had been incredible; _they_ had been incredible together.

“You are dangerous, Yang Xiao Long,” Blake whispered, reaching out with her left hand to lightly trace over Yang’s back muscles. Even just touching them had her remembering how every muscle in Yang’s body had flexed when they were fucking.

_Not fucking…_

Blake swallowed. It was too soon for it to be anything more than that.

_I think you’re perfect._

_If I had boxes that a girl could tick, you’d tick every single one and then some for extra credit._

Blake took a deep breath and shuffled closer to Yang, resting her head on the pillow right next to her face. She remembered something that her mom had told her when she was younger.

_I knew that I loved your father when he’d gotten hurt in a fight and was sleeping off the painkillers. I just sat next to him and watched him sleep. Even though I wanted to crawl in next to him, I wanted to watch him sleep more. You and he are the only people I’ve ever watched sleep._

Blake bit her lip and shook off the memory. Yang seemed too good to be true and Blake’s head was warring with her – she believed Yang’s words of devotion and adoration. If nothing, her actions simply substantiated everything she said. Blake had felt that emotion in every touch from Yang, even the few times they’d been rough. There was always an element of tenderness with Yang, whether it was with her fingers, her lips or her eyes.

Gods, her eyes. Blake could so easily get lost in them for hours and hours. There had been moments where one or both of them had cum and they’d just stare at each other, lost in the emotion of the moment.

Blake really had never had such an experience with another person before – and not just because of the amazing sex. She would be blind and stupid to deny that she had a connection with Yang, and a strong one at that. It was the intensity of that connection that had her fighting with herself. She’d never felt anything like it before and it scared the shit out of her.

If Blake embraced everything she was feeling, it gave Yang the power to hurt her – _really_ hurt her. She’d been hurt enough in her life before, both physically and emotionally.

_No one affects my head, my body, my heart the way you do._

“Fuck,” Blake breathed out, letting her lips graze Yang’s forearm as it lay right in front of her. She closed her eyes briefly and let the natural warmth that Yang emanated wash over her. “What are we going to do?”

“Cuddle,” came Yang’s sleepy reply.

Blake blinked her eyes open in surprise and drew back, but Yang’s reflexes were sharp and the arm that Blake had just been kissing hooked her around the waist and pulled her close.

“Yang,” Blake murmured.

Lilac eyes flickered open and Blake bit her lip. Those eyes were quickly becoming her biggest weakness. Along with Yang’s kisses, her hugs, her arms – _gods, her arms_ – her smile, her sense of humour, her-

Shit.

“Blake.” Yang was more awake and softly kissed her. “You can talk to me.”

“I know, I know,” Blake whispered, letting her legs tangle with Yang’s. “This is just…a lot.”

Yang nodded. “It is. Do you want me to back off?”

“No!” Blake surprised herself with how quickly forcefully the word came out. She swallowed. “Sorry. I don’t think that I could go back to anything before this. I’m just…”

“Scared?” Yang offered quietly.

Blake nodded. “I’m scared of what I feel for you. I’m scared of how big it is.”

Yang shuffled under the sheet so that she was on her back, which gave Blake a _very_ tantalising view of her bare chest. Yang used one arm to coax Blake on top of her and Blake let herself be manoeuvred.

“Ruby and I have different moms,” she started quietly. “Well, kind of.”

Blake’s gasped quietly. While she was ecstatic that Yang was divulging something of her past, she didn’t want it to be because she was-

“Before you start overthinking, there is a reason I’m telling you this particular story,” Yang cut in gently, leaning up to kiss Blake.

“Okay,” Blake breathed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Yang replied simply with a smile. “My dad, my mom and Ruby’s mom all went to college together. From what I can understand between my uncle’s drunken ramblings and the little bit my parents did actually tell me, they were all in a relationship together. My mom, Raven, left soon after I was born and it really hurt both my dad and Summer. Summer was Ruby’s mom. And my mom, I guess. She was more of a mom than Raven was. Anyway, when I was old enough to start asking questions about what my Uncle Qrow kept telling me about his sister – Raven – Summer pulled me to one side and told me that she, Tai – my dad – and Raven had all been in love and Raven had gotten scared after I was born because, in Summer’s words, she didn’t feel that she could give anymore love than what she’d given to Tai and Summer. So she left. I was only seven when Summer told me all this but I remember every second as clear as day. I asked her why Raven didn’t have enough love and Summer said, “When you really love someone, it’s scary. It’s scary because giving yourself to another person like that leaves you vulnerable. There’s the chance you’ll be hurt, the fear of the unknown, of what ifs. Love is about taking the risk and trusting that the other person or persons will be there to catch you”.”

“Will you catch me, Yang?” Blake asked before her brain could stop her mouth.

Yang looked at her for a long while, searching her eyes and Blake felt her heartrate increase exponentially. After what felt like hours, Yang leaned up and kissed Blake, drawing her in – not that Blake didn’t follow willingly.

Yang teased Blake’s lips gently with her tongue and Blake shivered at the memory of that tongue doing incredible things to her _other_ lips.

“Blake,” Yang whispered against her lips, “I caught you the first moment you stumbled and I have no intention of letting you go.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while...I'm sorry :(  
> The NSFW continues...obvs.

Ruby awoke suddenly and sat up. Her tablet was discarded to one side of the bed and her headphones had fallen off her head during her sleep. She wasn’t sure what had woken her up but generally she was a pretty deep sleeper, so it had to have been something pretty loud.

She pulled a face at the thought of it being something she really didn’t want to hear. Yang hadn’t been subtle at all about what she and Blake were doing after their date and Ruby could only hope that they’d finished their business and were sleeping.

Ruby felt around for her phone and winced at the bright light of the screen in her dark room.

It had just gone four am.

Ruby sighed and lay back down, her eyes already fluttering closed when her ears picked up a sound. She sat up and got out of bed. She walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. Her eyes widened when she looked down in the street.

She was already halfway down the stairs when she remembered that Yang had said she wasn’t supposed to go out in the street because they were all on lockdown. She pouted

_But I don’t have to go to the street myself. I can stand in the driveway!_

Ruby grinned at her genius plan and quietly opened the large front door.

* * *

Weiss stirred as the sun crept onto her face. She moved to block it with her hand but found that her hands were being held.

Alarmed, Weiss opened her eyes and after a second, realised where she was and relaxed.

“Weiss, you okay?” Pyrrha murmured from behind her, her fingers tightening around Weiss’s.

Weiss smiled widely. Twenty-four hours ago, she would have never dreamed that she and Pyrrha would be waking up in the same bed after spending a wonderful evening together. She shuffled around and Pyrrha hummed in appreciation, although her eyes remained closed.

“The sun woke me up,” Weiss whispered, settling comfortably a few centimetres away from Pyrrha.

“How dare it. Would you like me to fight the sun for you?”

Weiss giggled. “I would expect nothing less.”

“Consider it done,” Pyrrha said sleepily, her arms tugging Weiss even closer.

Only Weiss was suddenly wide awake and content to simply watch Pyrrha doze. She knew that Pyrrha hadn’t fallen back asleep entirely because her thumb grazed her spine every few moments.

 _Had I known that this is what it felt like, I would have fallen in love a long time ago,_ Weiss thought.

Love? No, that wasn’t what she meant. She simply meant falling. She’d only known Pyrrha a short while and they’d only been speaking for little more than two days.

“You’re thinking very loudly,” Pyrrha murmured, blinking her eyes open.

Weiss was momentarily stunned at how clear Pyrrha’s green eyes were.

_She is so stunning._

“You’re the one who’s stunning, Weiss,” Pyrrha replied.

“Oh. Did I say that out loud?” Weiss asked, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

Pyrrha smiled. “You did. But this has probably been my favourite way of waking up, so I don’t mind it.”

Weiss smiled bashfully but didn’t say anything further. Pyrrha had made it clear how she felt the night before and Weiss had found no reason to believe otherwise. It helped that their feelings were so mutual.

“Is it selfish of me to want to stay like this all day?” Weiss whispered, shuffling even closer to Pyrrha so that their noses almost touched.

“Perhaps. But then I must be selfish as well because I could think of nothing better than spending all day lazing about in bed with you.” Pyrrha suddenly blinked her eyes open completely. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that, actually.” She smiled. “This lockdown has been the best thing that’s happened to me in a long while.”

“Why?” Weiss asked, hoping that she was one of the reasons but the self-doubt demon that sat on her shoulder demanded confirmation.

“Well, I reunited with two dear friends from Patch, I met the most amazing girl that I didn’t think in a million years would feel the same way about me, and I don’t have every second of my day planned by my trainer.”

“So…you had feelings for me before we met?” Weiss asked curiously. That bit was news to her.

“Oh, yes,” Pyrrha replied with an easy smile. “I think they began when I saw you return after your Christmas trip from Atlas. You got out the car and you looked tired and stressed. But you looked up at the house, and this beautiful smile of relief crossed your face and I thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a girl who knew what it was like to only feel a small bit of freedom, and when she had it, she held onto it with both hands.”

Weiss was rendered speechless so she did the only thing she could think of – she kissed Pyrrha furiously. Pyrrha reciprocated immediately, rolling onto her back and bringing Weiss with her. Weiss let her fingers tangle with Pyrrha’s as they kissed. Her left hand toyed with the bottom of Pyrrha’s sleep shirt, but she didn’t have the courage to push it up and feel the skin she was so desperate to touch.

“Weiss,” Pyrrha whispered, breaking the kiss. “I told you last night, there is absolutely no rush with this. I am happy to go at whatever pace you feel comfortable with, okay?”

“Is…” Weiss frowned at her inarticulation.

“Tell me.”

“Is it…Does it not make me a prude or a tease to let things get to a certain point and then stop?” Weiss asked quietly, diverting her eyes from Pyrrha’s understanding face.

“Why on earth would you be a prude?” Pyrrha asked in surprise. “Weiss, look at me.” She did, after a gentle nudge. “I know this is your first relationship. For me, this is kind of a first too.”

“How? You and-“

Pyrrha put a finger over Weiss’s lips. “You need to stop comparing what we have to what I had with Yang. We were so young, and I was quite a different person then. I grew up a lot in the three years since and I haven’t been involved with anyone either. I didn’t…” Pyrrha took a breath. “I was confused by the attention my success brought. I didn’t know who to trust because it was nearly impossible for me to tell whether someone was paying attention to me because of Pyrrha Nikos, or because of _me_.”

Weiss nodded. She understood completely what Pyrrha was saying.

_Perhaps that’s why we grew so close so quickly._

“I was hurt badly once and that was enough for me to not bother to let anyone get close again.”

“So why me?” Weiss asked.

“Because you get it, Weiss. You know how precious it is to have someone’s trust. You know how fickle and shallow people can be just because you have a particular name. I could tell that you saw me as _Pyrrha_. Just Pyrrha.”

Weiss blushed. “Well, if we’re being honest, when I first saw you, I didn’t even know who you were. I just remembered thinking that you were incredibly attractive.”

Pyrrha smiled. “Well, know that it was the same for me. Although I did know who you were. You’ve got a very distinctive look, Weiss.”

“Family genetics,” Weiss replied with a roll of her eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” Pyrrha said seriously. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world and I believe that everything happens for a reason.”

“Do you believe in destiny?” Weiss whispered.

Pyrrha looked deeply into her eyes and nodded slowly. “That I do, Weiss.”

“I do too.”

“I think it may have been destiny that we ended up as neighbours during a time where the world is in isolation.”

“I think you may be right,” Weiss replied. As much as she enjoyed her conversations with Pyrrha, she really wanted to kiss her.

So she did, for the next few hours.

* * *

“Oh, _gods_ ,” Blake moaned, digging her nails into Yang’s shoulder.

“Fuck, Blake,” Yang grunted, her grip on Blake’s hip tightening. “I can feel you all around me and it feels amazing.”

Blake rolled her hips back and forth while Yang’s immensely talented fingers pushed deep inside her. “I’m close,” she gasped.

“I can feel you squeezing me,” Yang replied, placing open-mouthed kisses along Blake’s shoulder. “Let go, baby.”

Like flipping a switch, Yang’s final thrust pushed Blake over the edge, and she cried out her pleasure. She convulsed as her orgasm ripped through her body, sapping all her muscles of their energy. Exhausted, Blake rested her forehead on Yang’s shoulder as she worked her through her orgasm.

“How are you _so good_ at commanding my body,” Blake groaned.

Yang chuckled and Blake whimpered as she felt Yang pulled her fingers out of her. “Is that a bad thing?”

“It could be a dangerous thing,” Blake mumbled.

“Dangerous? Why?” Yang seemed concerned so Blake summoned whatever energy she had left in her body to meet her gaze.

“Because it’s addictive,” Blake replied, trying to make Yang believe that she wasn’t having second thoughts. “I already feel like I can’t get enough of you. Now we’ve added sex to the mix. Ugh. My body’s just going to want you all the time because of what you do it.”

Yang smiled but Blake could tell it wasn’t a true smile. She cupped Yang’s cheeks in her hands.

“What did I say? That was meant to be a good thing.”

“No, it is. It is,” Yang said quickly, her hands running up and down Blake’s hips. “I guess I’m worried that your fear of what this is, of how big it is, means that I’ll have your body but maybe not your heart.”

Blake swallowed. “Yang, it’s hard for me to admit when I’m scared. The fact that I did with you after a few days tells me that this is something real. I…” She paused, wanting to get her words right. “I don’t want to mess this up by saying something or doing something that would send you the wrong message.”

“Right…” Yang said, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“Shit, I’m saying this wrong. I want you. I want…this. Okay? I don’t know what _this_ is yet and maybe I’m still too scared to admit that maybe I do know what it is but putting a label on it makes it very real and very scary and I’m kind of just a mess right now but know that you have me, Yang.” Blake leaned down and kissed her softly. “You have me completely,” she whispered.

Yang returned her kiss with fervour and slowly lay back against the sheets, Blake following her willingly. After a few minutes of sensual kisses, Yang rolled them over.

“Again?” Blake asked with a smirk.

Yang smiled. “In a minute. I wanted to tell you that I’ll wait for you. You know how I feel, Blake. That’s not going to change and while you may not quite be at the level I am _yet_ ,” she stressed that word, making Blake blush, “I do believe that this is something bigger than us, something really special.”

“I do feel that. I feel the enormity of it, Yang, I do. I’m just…”

“Scared.”

“Yeah,” Blake breathed. “It’s not going to be forever. It’s just going to take me some time.”

Yang smiled the soft smile that had Blake practically melting into the sheets. “Blake, there’s no time limit on this. I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You…won’t get tired of waiting?” Blake asked with hesitation.

“You’re the perfect girl for me, Blake,” Yang murmured, her eyes shining with all the emotions that Blake knew coursed through Yang’s veins. “I’d wait forever for you.”

“Kiss me,” Blake begged, not sure that she trusted herself to say anything else.

Yang looked at her for a few more seconds and Blake felt a swirl of emotion building up in her chest. She tried to swallow it down. Yang must have seen her struggle because she fused their lips together and Blake felt everything that Yang said with her eyes in her kisses and her touch.

And it felt like the best thing in the world. It felt like it was all she needed to breathe.

* * *

Weiss glanced back at Pyrrha’s front door where Pyrrha was leaning against the door frame looking utterly delectable in her baggy pyjama pants and tank top. They hadn’t quite managed all day in bed, Pyrrha’s internal clock making her antsy to get up and do something. Weiss understood; it wasn’t as easy to train one’s body out of a habit purely because one wanted to do something different.

“Weiss!”

She turned back and saw Pyrrha jogging up the driveway to meet her. She smiled giddily. Although they’d spent quite a bit of time saying goodbye to one another – Weiss wanted to shower and change clothes and as much as she liked Pyrrha and felt comfortable around her, she preferred doing that in her own home – Weiss hadn’t really wanted to leave Pyrrha anymore than Pyrrha had wanted her to go.

“Did you forget something?” Weiss asked.

Pyrrha leaned in and kissed her. “Uh…I forgot what I wanted to ask you,” she mumbled, blinking in confusion.

Weiss giggled. “Well, when you remember, text me.” She leaned in for another kiss.

“Will you come over for dinner?” Pyrrha whispered, wrapping her arms around Weiss’s waist.

“I would love to,” Weiss replied happily.

“Okay. I’ll see you later?”

Weiss bit her lip and nodded, stepping out of Pyrrha’s arms. She walked backwards and saw Pyrrha take a visibly deep breath. She still couldn’t believe that she and Pyrrha were feeling all the same things. It was like a dream come true.

Destiny.

Weiss flicked her fingers in a wave as she rounded the dividing wall between their driveways. It seemed ridiculous that she was missing Pyrrha already when she’d spent so much time with her and was going to be seeing her in a few hours.

_But first, a shower and some lunch. I hope Yang has cooked up something yummy._

Weiss opened the front door and stepped inside.

“Well, well, well. And just where have you been, young lady?” a voice on the stairs asked.

Weiss rolled her eyes at Yang. “I’m older than you by three months, Yang. Nice try.”

“Did you stay over at Pyrrha’s?” Yang asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“What are you, twelve?” Weiss retorted.

“Only sometimes,” Yang replied confidently.

Weiss cracked a smile and lifted her own eyebrows when she saw two arms wrap around Yang’s shoulders from behind. The playful smile on Yang’s face immediately became tender and Weiss felt like she was intruding on a moment.

“Morning, Weiss,” Blake said, using Yang as a leaning post.

Weiss noted that her voice had a definite scratch to it that hadn’t been there yesterday. “Good morning, Blake. Have you had breakfast?”

“Uh, no,” Yang said, grinning sheepishly. “We only just got out of bed.”

“I see,” Weiss said, arching an eyebrow and smirking.

“Hey, don’t give me that look! You stayed over at Pyrrha’s house!” Yang protested.

“And?”

“And…and…”

“Babe, just leave them be,” Blake said with a laugh.

“Fine. But I reserve the right to fully roast Pyrrha when I see her.”

“You presume she’d tell you anything,” Weiss replied, walking towards the kitchen.

“Pfft,” Yang scoffed, hiking Blake onto her back and walking down the rest of the stairs. “You forget how well I know her.”

“I hope that doesn’t mean that you two are going to be comparing notes,” Blake said dryly.

“Ew, no,” Yang said immediately, pulling a face. “That’d be so weird. Besides, there’s no comparison to perfection.”

“Oh, barf,” Weiss said with a laugh as Blake hugged Yang even tighter. She was very happy for them. They seemed extremely happy and Weiss could relate to that.

“Have you seen-“ Yang’s voice cut off as she and Weiss both entered the living room.

“What the hell?” Blake mumbled, slipping off Yang’s back.

“RUBY!” Weiss yelled, her good mood all but evaporated.

“Ruby, get out here!” Yang echoed and Weiss could tell she was upset.

A head poked up from behind the upturned sofa. “Uh, hi, guys!”

Weiss gestured to her _destroyed_ living room. Practically everything was tipped over and in the wrong place. There was mud and sand everywhere.

“Explain. Now,” Weiss said firmly.

“I, uh, well.” Ruby stood up nervously, her hands fidgeting.

“Ruby, what happened?” Yang asked, her voice a little calmer than Weiss’s.

“It wasn’t me!” Ruby squeaked.

“Who else could it have been, Ruby?” Yang replied before Weiss could.

A bark echoed around the room.

“Oh no,” Yang murmured.

“What was that?” Weiss asked, her eyes widening.

Ruby grinned and disappeared behind the sofa again. When she emerged, she was holding a wriggly, _dirty_ , furball. “This is Zwei! He’s my new pet!”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ain't all fun and games...

Yang tapped Blake’s wrist twice and Blake didn’t need any further instruction. She grabbed Weiss around the waist and dragged her away from her destroyed living room. Yang could hear Weiss arguing but she would never win against Blake.

Blake was crazy strong, a trait that Yang had become delightfully familiar with in the last twelve hours.

Before her memories took over her brain, Yang focused on Ruby. Her sister had the biggest smile on her face as she cooed at the dirty furball in her arms.

Yang sighed and walked up to her. “Ruby,” she said calmly. “Let’s go outside, okay?”

“Okay!” Ruby said excitedly, skipping to the veranda.

Yang usually allowed Ruby’s excitable energy to fuel her moods but it was time for a serious talk about boundaries. For the most part, Yang was able to keep Ruby in check with her behaviour and she couldn’t help but feel guilty that on the one night she’d allowed herself to indulge in Blake, Ruby had really messed up.

Of course, in Ruby’s mind, she wouldn’t understand that. Yang needed to get a very clear picture of Ruby’s thought process and she was only going to be able to do that if she lost the fun big sister side of her personality for a bit. She hated doing it but it was one of the only ways that Ruby understood that things were serious and that she’d fucked up.

Not that Ruby would ever curse but still.

As soon as they got outside, Ruby put the furball down and Yang could see that he was a small dog, almost like a corgi. And he was _filthy_.

“Ruby,” Yang said in a firm, clear voice.

“You’re gonna love it here, Zwei! There’s so much space for you to run and-“

“Ruby,” Yang tried again.

“-Weiss is absolutely going to love you too! Oh, and you’ll meet Pyrrha! She-“

“Ruby!” Yang said a little more forcefully.

“-lives next door, just-“

“RUBY!”

She jumped and looked up at Yang with wide eyes. Yang immediately felt guilty at raising her voice but didn’t apologise.

“Ruby, leave the dog for now. You and I need to talk.”

“Oh. Can he come with?” Ruby asked.

Yang sighed. “No. This is a sister talk and I need you to be paying attention to me, not the dog.”

“His name is Zwei!” Ruby provided helpfully.

“Ruby, that’s not…” Yang trailed off, realising that she was in for a tough time. “Okay, focus. Look at me, Rubes.”

Thankfully, her sister obliged but Yang could see her whole body practically vibrating with excitement at having a pet. They’d had a few dogs growing up, mostly courtesy of their Uncle Qrow, who had a penchant for buying or finding animals in his drunken haze and ‘forgetting’ them at their house.

“Ruby, you need to explain to me what happened. Don’t leave anything out, okay?” Yang said, her voice calm once more.

“His barking woke me up in the middle of the night, although I didn’t know what it was at the time. I mean, I suspected it was a dog cos I’ve heard dogs bark before but I went downstairs to be sure. I opened the front door and he was at the start of the driveway. He looked at me and he was so scared, Yang! I called out to him and he ran to me immediately so I knew that he liked me. And I didn’t go outside the front, like you said!”

Yang was more concerned about Weiss kicking them out than Ruby adhering to a rule about not going out the front during a pandemic.

“He was super curious so I let him explore the living room. He had a lot of energy and he liked it when I chased him so we played tag for hours. Then we started hide and seek and let me tell you, Zwei is a top-notch hider. Better than you, I think!”

Yang loved her sister. She really did. But sometimes she wasn’t sure how to explain things that most people wouldn’t need to have explained.

“Ruby, you brought a dog into Weiss’s house,” Yang began, holding up a finger to list her points. “You didn’t ask her permission and it wasn’t something we’d discussed when we moved in. You took in a stray dog that could have innumerable problems, not to mention the fact that he’s filthy. You destroyed Weiss’s living room _playing_ with him and you don’t seem to be at all apologetic about any of it.”

Yang’s blood was boiling because she really was mad and she kept a tight lid on it.

“I don’t understand,” Ruby said quietly.

“This is not _our_ house, Ruby. We are _renting_ rooms here. Weiss now has every right to kick us out because you did some serious property damage.”

Ruby’s eyes went wide.

“Do you see how big this is? This is not Patch. We are not in our bungalow with Dad and Qrow where we had ten animals running around and we could do whatever we wanted. You showed no respect for Weiss or her property. She has been nothing but kind and generous, letting the two of us live here. And you have put both of us at risk because of your selfish and reckless behaviour.”

Ruby’s eyes swam with unshed tears. “I…I…I…”

Yang sighed, expelling a small amount of her frustration with it. “How did you not realise that what you were doing wasn’t okay?”

“I...I didn’t!”

“I realise that you didn’t but I wanna know _how_? I thought I’d done a pretty good job, teaching you right from wrong but now I wonder if I even taught you anything at all. I would _never_ have encouraged this kind of behaviour, Ruby, even if we were back on Patch.”

Ruby started sobbing, like the real gut-wrenching kind and Yang couldn’t fight the urge to put her arms around her little sister, who suddenly seemed a lot smaller than a few minutes ago.

“I’m s-s-s-sorry,” Ruby hiccupped.

“I’m not the one you should be apologising to,” Yang murmured.

“I w-will. But I’m sorry t-to you, Yang. You d-d-did a gr-great job raising me. You did teach m-me right and wrong.”

“Then how did this happen?”

“He looked so sad and then he was happy and I wanted to keep him happy so I just followed him. I didn’t even r-realise the damage until you said so.”

Yang shook her head. She knew that Ruby was telling the truth but there was no way Weiss would accept that excuse and Yang was going to have to take the fall. While she may not have been in the same room, Ruby was her responsibility. An uneasy tightness settled into Yang’s chest as she contemplated the repercussions of being suddenly homeless in a pandemic.

_We could go back to Patch. I’ll just clear out the garage and we can stay in there. I’ll have to do some quick research and see if there’s anything nearby available for immediate rental but I doubt it. We may have to tough it out for a few days before I can get us back to Patch._

Yang couldn’t believe how she’d gone from feeling the best she’d felt in years to the worst in a matter of minutes.

_I promised Blake I wouldn’t leave…_

Not one to sit around and wait for bad news, Yang pulled away from Ruby, who clung to her arms fearfully.

“Yang, what are we going to do?”

“I’m going to clean up the mess inside,” Yang said sternly. “You stay out here and try to clean the dog.”

“Okay. Yang?” Ruby’s voice was desperate. “Are we going to be okay?”

“I don’t know, Ruby. We’ll probably find out soon enough.”

* * *

Weiss was pacing from window to door in her bedroom. Blake couldn’t fault Weiss for her rage. She’d be pretty pissed off if she’d walked in on a disaster like that in her home. Hell, she was annoyed at Ruby’s recklessness but she was more worried about the outcome. Under normal circumstances, Weiss would no doubt evict Ruby for such destruction of property – and she’d be well within her rights. But if Ruby had to leave, Yang would leave with her and that scared Blake. She didn’t want that to happen. Not when she’d just found Yang.

It was a purely selfish justification and Blake acknowledged that. Didn’t make it untrue though.

Blake was trying to figure out a way to convince Weiss _not_ to kick them out. She didn’t think that appealing to her compassion was the ticket considering Ruby’s blatant disregard for Weiss’s house.

Blake glanced out the window and saw Yang holding up fingers as she listed things. While she couldn’t hear what was being said, it was clear that Yang was _pissed_ and Ruby’s eyes started watering pretty quickly. Blake couldn’t imagine that was a pleasant conversation. While she’d seen Yang be nothing but loving and supportive of Ruby since meeting them both, she didn’t doubt that Yang did know how to become the firm older sister when she needed to.

A big part of her wanted to be downstairs to offer Yang a hug after her talk with Ruby. She suspected that Yang would need one.

_Maybe I should try and gauge where Weiss’s head is first._

“-unbelievable, actually! To think that I let them live in _my_ house and this is the thanks I get? I trusted them and all I’m left with is a destroyed living room.”

“Weiss, I-“

“Don’t you dare side with them!” Weiss interrupted, her blue eyes flashing as she pointed an accusatory finger at Blake.

“Hey, whoa,” Blake replied, holding up her hands. “You keep saying ‘they’ but we both know that it was Ruby. Yang was with me the whole night.”

“Yes, I’m aware that Ruby is solely to blame here. But Yang is responsible for her and-“

“Wait a second. Ruby is legally an adult. Barely, but she’s an adult. The responsibility for this should be on her shoulders, not Yang’s.”

“There is no way that Yang will let Ruby take responsibility for this,” Weiss countered, folding her arms across her chest.

“Let’s say that she does, hypothetically,” Blake hedged. “What would you consider a fitting punishment?”

“Blake, you can’t be serious,” Weiss said, narrowing her eyes. “My living room is _destroyed_. I can’t have someone like that living under my roof!”

_Shit._

“Not only that but she let an _animal_ into my house, carrying who knows what that has probably spread everywhere by now.”

“You don’t know that,” Blake attempted.

“There is an equal likelihood that the dog could be infested,” Weiss argued. “Blake, I know you’re trying to find a silver lining here or something but what would you do in my position? Would you seriously overlook this?”

“I’m not saying overlook it,” Blake corrected her. “Not by any means. Ruby absolutely should take responsibility. Given that we’re in the midst of a pandemic and that you’d be making the both of them homeless-“

“Any landlord would do the same in a heartbeat, Blake!”

“But you’re not any landlord, Weiss. And they’re your friends.”

“While I have not had many friends in my formative years, I can say with certainty that friends do not destroy other friend’s property.”

Blake usually had no problem manipulating her words to get people to side with her but she wouldn’t do that with Weiss. Besides their history and their _other_ arrangement, she considered Weiss a genuine friend and she wouldn’t do that to a someone she cared about.

“Should we go and see what Ruby has to say?” Blake suggested quietly, seeing Yang walk away from a crying Ruby.

_Gods, it’s probably destroying her to do that._

“You mean what Yang has to say?” Weiss retorted bitingly.

Blake couldn’t fault Weiss’s anger. She absolutely had the right to feel angry, hurt, betrayed and disrespected. Blake dreaded what was going to happen downstairs but she would rather it happen sooner so that she could process whatever the fallout would be.

_And if that means Yang has to leave…_

Blake didn’t want to finish that thought.

Weiss marched out of her bedroom and Blake followed quickly. Her keen hearing could pick up commotion in the living room as they descended the stairs. A knot of worry formed in Blake’s stomach and refused to leave.

Yang was busy moving all the broken and dirty furniture to one side and Blake hated the steely look of resignation on her face.

_She’s going to take the fall for Ruby. Fuck._

Yang looked up as the entered the room and her eyes met Blake’s briefly before Yang straightened up and spoke, “Weiss, I take full responsibility for-“

“Oh no,” Weiss cut in.

Yang frowned. “What?”

“You did not do this,” Weiss said, indicating the mess with a wrinkle of her nose. “Ruby did. She should take responsibility.”

Yang’s jaw worked. “Weiss, with all due respect, I appreciate that you want her to take responsibility but it’s better in the long run if you accept my apology and let me clean this up so that we can leave.”

Blake’s heart dropped and she felt faint.

_No…_

“I…” Weiss started but couldn’t finish her thought.

“Ruby may have created all this but she’s my responsibility and I take-“

“Oh, will you stop that?” Weiss snapped. “I know how protective you are of Ruby and your devotion to your sister is admirable, if not a little blinded. How long are you going to keep taking responsibility for her, Yang?”

“She’s my sister, Weiss.”

“Yes. She’s also an adult.”

“In age, maybe, but-“

“Oh my gods, you’re actually making me madder,” Weiss snapped. “Wake up, Yang. You are sheltering Ruby and absolving her of any and all accountability. She’s going to keep making these mistakes unless _she_ suffers the consequences herself.”

Yang sighed. “I know that, Weiss. I’m trying here. She’s never messed up this big before and I understand that this is a dealbreaker. You can’t expect me to let you kick my sister out and not follow her. I can’t do that.”

“I’m not kicking either of you out,” Weiss said firmly.

_Wait, what?_

“Wait, what?” Yang asked.

Weiss took a deep breath and let it out. “Yang, you have clearly done a marvellous job raising Ruby. I’d like to think that we are friends, not just people who live in the same house. I have a lot of admiration for you and I understand that Ruby has a different way of viewing the world and interacting with it.”

Yang nodded and Blake felt the ball of worry loosen just a little.

“I know a little something about boundaries and rigidity and rules,” Weiss continued. “I propose that, in addition to the two of you cleaning this room _entirely_ , you allow me to work with Ruby. Call it an experiment, if you will.”

Yang frowned. “Is this like, for a class or something? What are you even studying?”

“Business management and psychology,” Weiss huffed. “Not that it matters. This is a personal interest of mine.” Weiss stepped closer to Yang but Blake could still hear the exchange. “Your attachment to your sister is heart-warming but if you and Blake become more serious, Ruby is going to have to fend for herself at some point. You can’t always be there to pick up the pieces when she makes a mess.”

“Fuck, I know that!” Yang said, clenching her fists. “We literally just spoke about it yesterday, Weiss! Give us a chance to figure shit out, first!”

Weiss stepped back and gestured at the room. “I’d say you’re starting a little later than you should have.”

“Is this my punishment?” Yang groaned. “You’re going to lecture me constantly about withholding accountability?”

“It’s a lesson you both need to learn,” Weiss replied, matter-of-factly. “You’re reluctant to teach Ruby because it requires a firm hand and you can’t be like that with Ruby for an extended period of time.”

Yang rubbed her face. “Yeah, I know.”

“Excellent. And I want that mutt out of here,” Weiss concluded, spinning on her heel and leaving the room.

Blake blinked. “Did that just happen?”

“I don’t even know.” Yang sounded exhausted, and not Blake guessed it wasn’t because they’d been up for most of the night.

Blake walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Yang’s waist, nudging her cheek with her nose. Yang heaved a sigh and pulled Blake in for a hug.

“I’m really glad you’re staying,” Blake whispered as she snuggled into the crook of Yang’s neck. “I’m not ready to let you go.”

“Not yet?” Yang asked quietly.

Blake shook her head and closed her eyes. “Not ever.”


End file.
